Switched
by Indigo Masquerade97
Summary: My entry for Nightmares06's Brothers Apart contest. On an otherwise quiet night, Dean wakes up to find his brother missing, replaced with a strange tiny who is lost and scared. Sam, meanwhile, has his own problems with that tiny's unstable bondmate. Now they must work together to find each other, and right this wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Dean slowly began to stir from a much needed rest. He frowned into his pillow, slowly looking around the dark motel room. The alarm clock beside the bed flashed with red numbers, reading 3:19 am. A low whine echoed in the otherwise silent room, and he cast a worried glance to the underside of the nightstand. Sam was quietly whining behind the wall of books Dean had set up earlier that night. He grimaced, imagining his tiny brother squirming in his nightmare induced state.

It had been months since the nightmares of his capture had begun to fade away, shortly after his arm had healed. Dean was glad to see them go; he hated the feeling of hopelessness that came from knowing there was little he could do to help his baby brother.

They had stopped at this little hotel the night before, just travelling around in search of a case. So far they had found nothing, so they were taking the time to relax. It was nice after the recent events. He hated fairies.

Then Sam screamed, long and loud. Dean was instantly awake, flinging the sheets off and nearly tumbling off the bed in his haste.

'Sam? Sammy?' He called. No answer.

There was a blinding light that pierced through the gaps of the books, engulfing strands of the room in a warm glow. Dean blinked away the sudden spots in his vision as he yanked one of the books aside.

'Sammy? Are you alri-' He paused when he caught sight of the tiny figure that sat, panting, on the doll bed. They turned to Dean, their breath hitching in fright.

It wasn't Sam.

* * *

Sam woke with a start, panting for breath. His lungs burned from the lack of air, his throat hoarse like he'd been screaming. He rubbed at his chest, where he could still feel a suffocating pressure. After a moment the tight feeling dissipated, leaving Sam to sit on a slightly damp cloth.

He glanced around, confused to see not the familiar sides of old books, but a huge expanse of darkness. He wasn't under the nightstand. He was laying on a folded piece of green cloth – which smelt of earth and woodsmoke – atop a desk. Dark shadows loomed in the distance, but it was too dark to make them out. He frowned. He distinctly remembered getting into his doll bed the night before.

 _Where is Dean_ , he wondered.

He flinched when a door was roughly knocked open, the force causing it to slam against the wall with a crunching **BANG!**

'Eyes.' A rough voice muttered. It was all the warning he got before lights were switched on. Sam winced, temporarily blinded by the sudden light.

'Alright brat, what is it? Did ya have a nightmare or som-'

Sam went rigid as that strange tingling sensation spread over his neck, only light to show that he had been spotted. No malice, at least. A giant paused mid-step as he had been coming over, staring at him. Sam quickly assessed the stranger. He was humanoid, wearing dark jeans and a dark red shirt. The black boots and worn out leather jacket were similar to Dean's, if it wasn't for the copper spikes on the shoulders. Black fingerless gloves adorned his hands, a black watch wrapped around the left wrist. He looked like a young human, mid teens at the oldest. But the eyes and hair...

The eyes were a deep blood red, intense and calculating. The red hair seemed to crackle like flames, waving in the air with every slight movement.

Sam inched off the cloth, his hand automatically reaching for the comfort of his silver knife. Was this thing some sort of demon? It couldn't be human, he was sure of that.

The movement snapped the creature out of his shock. He frowned, stomping forward.

'Who the fuck are you?' He demanded, unperplexed by the existence of a tiny man on the desk. This made Sam shiver. Had this creature had prior experience with smaller folk like himself?

Then the red eyes narrowed. The persistent tingling grew stronger in warning, causing Sam to stiffen. The giants frown shifted into a snarl. He let out a low, animalistic growl.

'Where's Takota?!'

Sam bolted to the back of the desk. He rushed under the monitor for a strange looking computer, grabbing onto the cords that trailed behind it and scaling down. It was a bold move that could prove disastrous, but without his hook and a giant reaching for him, he had few options.

The giant... _thing_ , that he now dubbed Red, reached into the crevice after him, but Sam was already out of easy reach. Red growled, leaning forward and trying to snatch him up. Sam prepared to be shaken up by the quake that so much mass impacting wood would cause... but there was nothing. He could clearly see that Red was leaning against the desk, but there had been no impact. As if there wasn't really anything there.

He didn't dwell on it. Red's hand had grown closer, the long fingers almost touching him. He let go of the cord, dropping to the wooden floor with a huff. He landed in a crouch, thankful it hadn't been a long drop. With a quick glance at Red's angry face above, Sam began to dash away, looking for any access into the walls. A hole, a vent, just _something_ so he could escape this thing and find Dean.

He became a bit distressed when he realized the walls were made of solid rock. He trailed a hand over the cold stone. It was seamless, and scarily smooth, like the polished wood beneath his feet. The stone was pristine and whole, and the only vent he could spot was on the ceiling, well out of reach.

Red growled from outside Sam's temporary safe spot. A hand wedged under the solid desk. With barely any effort, the entire desk – computer, stacks of books and all – was thrown nosily to the side. Sam yelped at the noise it caused, staring fearfully at the maybe-demon who'd carelessly dumped the desk on its side. He growled, eyes flashing slightly before he pounced for the borrower.

Sam bolted to the side, narrowly avoiding the hand.

'STAY STILL YA FUCKING RAT!' Red boomed, swinging an arm to try and knock Sam down. He managed to duck under the huge appendage, turning to bolt to the nearby couch.

Until a hand slammed down on his back, knocking him painfully to the ground. He lay dazed for a moment, taking deep breaths to fill his suddenly empty lungs.

Then the fingers began to move, wrapping around his torso. Sam yelped, struggling against the strong grip even as it solidified and rose. The giant smirked, still crouched by the couch.

'You're more trouble than I thought.' He sneered, eyes narrowed menacingly.

Sam twisted about as two fingers pinched at his chest and back, suspending him high in the air. He gasped out in pain, the thumb adding too much pressure to his torso. He was sure he'd get bruises from that, at the very least. He took a deep breath, reaching into his vest and grabbing his knife. He sliced at the thumb, causing Red to flinch back and drop him.

Sam landed hard, but quickly jumped to his feet, holding the tiny knife out defensively. He limped slightly, the jarring landing doing nothing for his aching legs. Red was staring down at his hand, where there was the smallest of cuts along his thumb.

'Did you just...'

'And I'll do it again if you try and touch me!' Sam declared, backing away as Red continued to stare at the dollop of blood, 'Now stay back!'

Sam knew it was a useless threat. He could slash at the giant all he wanted, but there was little he could truly do to fight against such a large being. He'd been painfully reminded of that plenty of times, after all.

He gulped as Red's hair almost glowed, the flame-like movements becoming erratic. The eyes glowed bright as he growled, glaring down at Sam's retreating form.

'You will pay for that!' He hissed, holding up his fist. Sam widened his eyes in fright as the fist began to rush towards him, ready to make him a stain against the wooden floor. He cried out, holding his arms in front of him in useless defense.

And the tingling sensation suddenly doubled.

He waited, but he was never crushed. He cautiously looked up to see a second giant with a firm hold of that deadly fist, mere inches above Sam. The two giants glared at each other, then the newcomer glanced down at Sam. He lowered his other hand, which held a clear vase, over the tiny borrower. With a loud thud against wood, Sam was trapped under a glass prison.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean and the tiny stared at one another, too shocked by the unexpected predicament to do anything at first. So many questions kept Dean immobile. Who was this guy? Why was he under the nightstand, in Sam's bed no less?

And more importantly, where was Sam?

Dean narrowed his eyes. The tiny gasped, struggling to jump out of the bed and flee through the small exit to the side.

'Oh no you don't!' Dean growled, reaching out and blocking the little guys dash. He yelped, jumping back. He tripped over Sam's bag, tumbling to the ground. Dean quickly scooped him up, dragging the struggling guy out from the little room.

Takota wasn't doing well inside a giant's hand. He took short, startled breaths, feeling around in the dark to find some hold. He struggled between two mindsets, to escape a giant's clutches, or avoid a potentially long fall. _Don't drop me! For the love of Hydra, DON'T DROP ME!_ He pushed at the fingers around him, tears in his eyes, but of course there was no progress made. He was as stuck as if he'd been encased in cement.

'Let me go!' He tried to shout, but all his strained throat could manage was a small croak. He was sure the giant hadn't even heard it.

Dean would never get used to the feeling of minuscule hands scrabbling for purchase inside his fist. How many times had he done this now? He huffed, standing up. The struggling paused, and he heard a tiny gasp of fear. Dean winced at that, imagining that the ride must not be pleasant. He shook his head, feeling guilty for scaring the tiny guy.

 _But Sammy's missing._ He wasn't sure if he could handle another disappearance like this.

He quickly switched the light on, making sure the curtains were drawn so no one could look in at what was happening. He stepped over to the table, where there were many pamphlets strewn about. He quickly moved them to the side before gently dropping his catch onto it. The tiny guy yelped at the fall, pushing himself to his knees. He glanced back at Dean as he sat heavily on the chair, slowly crawling back from him.

Dean quickly examined the little guy. He wore a white tunic with a brown vest, matching fine jeans and black boots that reached his knees. A leather padding was over his chest, with the dark ambrosia of... some sort of leaf? A leather arm guard was wrapped around his left arm with pale string criss-crossing the leather to keep it in place. A dark green cloak was clipped over his shoulders, but the hood was drawn back. He was shorter than Sam, maybe three and a bit inches tall, with brown skin and hair that stuck up in wild spikes. Wide amber eyes stared up at him as he slowly crawled away. He looked like a renaissance character, if it weren't for the tiny watch that was clipped to his right wrist ruining the medieval-like look.

Takota crawled backwards desperately, trying to get as much distance between himself and the unknown giant. He tried to get to his feet, but they had become jelly and wouldn't support his weight. _Can't I get a break_ , he asked incredulously. He'd only just gotten out of a bad situation with giants and he didn't need a repeat of it. But at least the giant hadn't dropped him from a bone breaking height. Small favours, he supposed.

Dean leaned forward, placing his arms either side of the retreating figure to corral the guy inside. He couldn't let him escape before he knew what had happened. He refused to loose Sam again.

The guy flinched at the movement, but then frowned. With a determined look, he forced himself to his feet, standing straight and leveling an angry glare at Dean.

'How dare you!' He called out, one hand reaching up to pull out a minuscule necklace, 'State your name and... a-and your rank! I'm going to report you to the C-council, and when Quintuple finds out what you've done, there will be hell to pay!'

Dean was taken aback by the sassy remark. He hadn't expected _that_. The guy sounded younger than he originally thought, with forced professionalism and casualness. He spoke in an almost militaristic manner, but stumbled over his wording. And he was shivering, the hand holding the necklace white from how hard he clenched it. His legs quivered, looking like they'd collapse at any second.

He seemed fairly certain that his words would have an effect on Dean.

Dean leaned forward, purposely looming over him. He paled visibly, shaking. He took a startled step backwards, quickly trying to hide it by standing straight again.

'You haven't done this before, have you, pint-size?'

Takota gulped, leaning back. It wasn't working. Just saying that name usually was enough to scare off any giant's that tried to give him a hard time. He could feel himself quivering. Either this guy was a fool, or he was quite confident in his abilities – in which case he was twice the fool, considering he was human.

Or maybe he didn't know the stories about Quintuple? If that was the case, Takota was screwed. He hadn't realized how dependent he'd become on his bondmate's reputation to keep him safe.

Dean just snorted at the continued silence, cocking his head. The kid was shaking like a leaf, his eyes too wide as he stared unblinkingly at Dean. The intensity of that fearful stare was kinda unnerving, actually.

'Look, I really don't care that you were in my room,' Dean stated, his eyes narrowing somewhat, 'But I found you in my brothers bed, with him nowhere in sight. I can't exactly ignore that.' He still had no idea what had happened under the nightstand, and for all he knew the guy didn't have any involvement in the issue. He didn't want to hurt the guy if that was the case.

The guy furrowed his brow, looking around at his surroundings for the first time. His eyes widened even further, if that was even possible.

'… Where am I?'

'Wedgewood Motor Inn, room five.'

'WHERE?!' Dean bristled at the demand, and the tiny stiffened when he realized what he had done. The terror that crossed his eyes made Dean pause. He'd seen that look plenty of time before, and no matter what the situation, it made him feel like bloody Godzilla. He quickly shrugged his annoyance off, trying to keep his movements slow. No need to freak the guy out more than he already was. He probably wouldn't get any answers like that.

'Blackstone, Virgina.'

'Virgina?' The guy muttered, teetering and falling back, 'I'm in America...?'

Dean blinked, confused by the comment.

'And where are you _supposed_ to be?'

Takota whimpered, wrapping his arms around his knees. _Where am I supposed to be?_ Not on a completely different _planet_ , that's for sure! He should have been in the mother worlds headquarters, surrounded by his fellow resistance members. With his bondmate! And...

He paused in his panic, his hand reaching up to his spark, right where his heart should have been if he were human. He'd grown used to a warm weight by his spark, a constant sign of his sparkbond. In stressful times like this, he could use it to find reassurance from his bondmate. It was a powerful bond that forever linked two individuals together.

And it was gone. There wasn't even a small strain that came from long distance. It was as if he didn't even exist.

Dean stiffened when the tiny guy began sniffling, then outright sobbing. _Fuck!_ He leaned back, looking around for help, but of course, there was none. Sammy couldn't help him now. He was utterly alone in this situation.

'Hey. Calm down, kid. You're gonna be okay.' Dean assured, not sure what else he could do. If it were Sam he'd try to rub his back to calm him down, but he was sure that wouldn't go down well with this kid.

'What are you going to do with me?' The kid asked, wrapping his arms around his knees. The pinnacle of hopeless fright. It made him look even smaller, considering there wasn't much of him to begin with.

'Look, if you're not hurting anyone, there is no reason for me to hurt you,' Dean explained, his voice soft, 'I just want to find my brother.'

Takota paused in conjuring up terrible possible scenarios, looking up at the giant, focusing on his chest. Anywhere but the scary eyes. He sounded hurt, and sincere in his words. Being a shifter had its perks, and while his heightened hearing made every giant movement more frightening, it also lend support to the giants words. His heartrate continued to beat in a steady rhythm; he wasn't lying. This gave Takota a small sense of courage, enough to look directly at his face. Those green eyes made him shiver for more reasons than one. They were intense, with a cold look he'd glimpsed in the old veterans at the headquarters. They were the eyes of a seasoned killer. And they were almost familiar, the same colour, maybe a little darker, but not the same. The absence in his spark made him cringe, feeling more alone than he ever had. _Am I ever going to see him again?_

'How about we start over?' The giant asked, smiling kindly, 'The names Dean. What's yours?'

Takota hesitated, unsure if he truly saw concern in those eyes. He looked down to his necklace. A black oak leaf, the symbol of great protectors. He squeezed the pendant for reassurance. He then huffed, dragging himself to his feet. _C'mon! You're a Mandimal soldier. Act like it!_ Takota took a deep breath, forcing himself to look the giant – Dean – in the eye.

'My name is Takota Metteta, level three Telepath of the Mandimal Resistance. It's a pleasure to meet you.' He said, holding one fisted hand behind his back and the other over his heart, nodding a respectful salute.

Dean shifted, unsure how else to respond to such a formal introduction. He wasn't really used to the tiny people being so calm in their first meetings with him, sans that first few frightful minutes. There was a lot to fear from him, being as big as he was. While the guy was obviously still scared, he made a tangible effort to move passed it and cooperate with him. It was going better than Dean could have hoped.

'If I could be so bold to ask, what happened when you found me?' Takota continued.

'You don't know?' Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Well, I was _kinda_ unconscious when the whole thing happened, so _yeah_ , I _don't_ know what happened,' He snapped sarcastically, then cleared his throat apologetically, 'Sorry, but that was a stupid comment.'

'Heh. No problem,' Dean chuckled, thinking, 'Well, Sam was whining in his sleep, then screamed. When I called to him he didn't answer. Then there was a light, and I found you in his room instead.'

Takota was silent as he thought over the information. He began pacing, eyes to the floor. So Dean's brother was the same size as he was. How they were brothers didn't really matter at the moment, but he imagined that they had adopted each other some time in the past. If not, and they truly were blood related... he stopped going down that rabbit hole of possibilities. _Task at hand_ , he thought. He needed to stay on track. If he were to understand what happened, he could find a way to return home.

'Did you see what colour the light was?' He asked thoughtfully.

'Does that really matter?' Dean asked. In truth, he didn't remember what the colour was. He had been too busy worrying about Sam. Takota paused in his pacing to send him a calculating look before shaking his head.

'Nah, it doesn't matter now,' He stated, beginning to pace again, 'We're here now, so we need to...'

He froze in his pacing, eyes widening. Dean sat straighter, suddenly worried.

'What?'

'If I'm here, it would make sense that your brother is where _I_ was,' He mused, 'And that would mean he's at the apartment with... Oh Twins help him.'

'What? Is Sam in trouble?' Dean demanded. Takota flinched at the raised voice, but otherwise didn't move. He took a deep breath, looking up at Dean with wide, worried eyes.

'I don't know,' He said, shaking his head helplessly, 'Most of the guys would be okay and only retaliate if he were a threat, but if _Adrian_ gets his hands on him? He'll rip him apart like a bug.'


	3. Chapter 3

Sam couldn't help flinching as the vase came down around him, grateful that the aim wasn't to crush, but merely capture him. He shivered under the glass, staring up at the towering giants. He couldn't see the newcomer because his hand still clasped the top of the vase, but he could clearly see Red's infuriated look.

'What the fuck, man?!' Red shouted, pushing at the stranger. He just snorted, dragging the glass closer to himself. Sam widened his eyes, trying to move with it so he wasn't bumped against the glass. His captor turned on the spot, reaching away for something.

'Samuel, you need to calm yourself.'

Sam looked up at that. Was this giant talking to him? If so, how did it know his name?

'That little FUCKER just ATTACKED ME!' Red screeched, making Sam wince. He watched as the side of the vase lifted, letting a small booklet slip under. Sam grimaced, but stepped onto it. _Best to cooperate for now_ , he thought. He would be ready when a chance for escape presented itself.

'I'm sure it was justified.' The stranger muttered, steadily rising to his full height. Sam was surprised by how steady and careful the act was, like it was a well practised move. It lent credence to Sam's suspicions that they'd had prior experience with his kind.

He wasn't sure if he was glad or not.

Sam was gently placed down on a sparse coffee table, where there was a small stack of magazines and books to the side. He now got a good look at the new giant. He was pale, sickly so, wearing a dirty white singlet with black and white cameo pants and boots. His hair was in a military cut, starch white, and seemed to flicker, almost like a glitch on a computer. Three red scars trailed across his cheeks, a grey eyepatch covering the left eye, where one of the scars crossed. His remaining eye was sharp and much like Red's, only completely white. Wrinkles crinkled the edges of his eye, giving him a withered old look. He must have been in his mid thirties at least, and held himself with an almost militaristic air.

'Why are you protecting him, you old prick?' Red demanded angrily.

'Protecting who?'

Sam shivered, turning to look at the door. A child stood there, looking in curiously. He couldn't have been older than ten, leaning excitedly against the doorframe. He was wearing black jeans, a white shirt covered in a dark blue vest over the top. His hair was a creamy blue, waving in the air like he was submerged in water. What looked like headphones rested around his neck, so he could easily place them back over his head. Murky blue eyes gazed in curiously at his elders, then froze on Sam. He gasped, gliding forward. Sam was confused by that at first, until he realised the boy was wearing dark blue boots with wheels on the soles.

'What have you done?' He squeaked, wide eyes taking in Sam's form under the vase, 'Is he hurt?' Sam gulped, backing away from Blue as he reached out for the vase. Children were usually the worst with handling his people. He didn't want to be in those hands.

He needn't worry; Red – Samuel – grabbed the boys wrist, holding him back. Blue sent him an annoyed glance.

'I wouldn't,' He muttered, distrustful eyes levelled on Sam, 'He bites.' Sam glared at him, annoyed by that. _I'll do more than just bite, bitch!_

'And what did you do to deserve it?' Blue asked, wrenching his hand back. Samuel scoffed.

'Why do you think I _did_ something?'

'Because you _always_ do!' Samuel frowned angrily at the snappy response.

Sam shivered as a laugh echoed through the room. He watched as a black smoke twirled around the giants' feet, making him gulp. Like a demon's smoky form, it swirled around Samuel, before becoming a solid form behind him. _Defiantly not demons, then_ , Sam thought. A demon would have needed a vessel, while this guy just conjured up a solid form. The newcomers skin was like ash, murky in places like he had intensive bruising. His clothes were simple, but in bad shape. His grey shirt had a large gouge in the chest, the left sleeve ripped off. A black cloak draped his shoulders, the edges singed. He leaned against Samuel, giggling slightly as he gently placed his hands on his shoulders. A leather mask covered up most of his face, but it still showed the Cheshire smile and black pools for eyes.

'Are you _really_ going to take that from a little shrimp like him?' He muttered with mock offence.

Samuel growled, pouncing on a startled Blue. The two tumbled to the ground. Sam darted to the opposite side of the vase, trying to keep as much distance between himself and the wrestling titans as possible.

He looked over his shoulder, where the other two giants stood. White had crossed his arms, sending an annoyed glance down at the shorter giant. Black paid it no mind, instead grinning proudly at the trouble he'd caused.

'Must you always escalate things to such levels?' White asked, sounding tired. Like it was a question he'd had to repeat many times in the past. Black chuckled, batting his eyes behind his leather mask.

'You know me.' He sang.

White groaned, running a hand over his face. He then stepped around the table, grabbing the two youngest giants by the collars.

'No unauthorised horseplay!' He bellowed, trying and failing to keep Samuel off of Blue, 'Cease your infernal fighting this instant!'

Sam shivered as an exceptionally cold tingle crossed over his neck. He looked up, where he could see Black leering down at him. He crouched down, agonizingly slowly, his grin widening. He reached forward to grab the vase. Sam whimpered, pressing himself against the glass, his grip on his knife tightening. Those black eyes were clouded by the glass, but it was impossible to mistake their cruel nature. It wasn't even that greedy glint he had seen in Isabelle's eyes, when she had captured him months before. It was like a predator that had captured easy prey. An easy meal. Just pure, joyful glee for a successful catch.

A glimmer of amusement lit those eyes up when he noticed Sam's obvious fear, the creature slowing down to prolong the experience. Those long, ashen fingers almost touched the glass, ready to move and snatch him up. Sam cringed back, but there was nowhere to hide. He held out his knife defensively, even though he knew it wouldn't stop the creature.

'OI! What the BLOODY HELL is going on in here?!'

The fighting stopped. Those fingers froze, twitching slightly as the creature debated with itself. Black then sneered.

'Spoil sport.' He muttered, leaning back to drape himself across the couch with an unsettling level of casualness.

With the imminent threat gone, Sam dared to look at the newest giant. He stood at the same height as Black, wearing similar clothes of soft browns and greens. A small symbol was etched into the left shoulder, consisting of criss-crossing bones under a dark multiheaded beast. The right sleeve had a slit in it, exposing a dark tattoo of a leaf and arrow. A dark belt held a couple of dull knives. He crossed his arms, which were well toned through years of work, even if he was too skinny. He was a brunette, but a tuft of hair had been dyed a leafy green to match his eyes, which were narrowed accusingly.

There was a beat of silence. Sam shivered, feeling the weight of being surrounded by _five_ unknown giants. What were they going to do now?

'HE STARTED IT!' Samuel and Blue thundered simultaneously, both childishly attempting to be heard over the other. Sam winced at the thundering sound, dropping his knife in favour of blocking his ears. They began rambling, but the words were too quick and jumbled to form any cohesive sentence. They were _bickering_?

'Enough!'

The two became silent, Blue looking down at his scuffling feet while Samuel was held up by the collar thanks to White. Black just snorted, watching with great interest. The newcomer, Green, looked around at the mess on the opposite side of the room.

'Hans. Status report.'

'Unclear, sir,' White answered, his face neutral, 'I entered the room to find Samuel assaulting an intruder.'

'And he's under the vase... why?'

'Samuel almost squished him. I needed a temporary containment unit to hold him for future interrogation, as well as a form of protection to prevent Samuel from terminating him.'

'He attacked me first!' Samuel whined, pouting as he crossed his arms. Green shook his head, glancing at the mess.

'If you did what I think you did, then I don't blame him.'

Green snapped his fingers, and Sam stared in shock. He watched as Green's right eye flared with a purple flame, an aura of similar colour swirling around his hand like some strange magic. His hand began to move, like he was conducting a choir. Wood began to creak, and Sam looked back to see the desk being straightened up. A dozen violet hands began plucking up scattered items, swirling in the air as they re-stacked books and cleaned up the mess that had been made. Their movement was fast, efficient, and almost like a dance. The green cloth Sam had woken on was unfurled, revealing a strange cloak that seemed to shimmer with different shades of green. It was draped over the chair, which was then tucked in under the desk. When Green shook his hand the light dissipated, as did the numerous hands.

'Show off.' Samuel muttered, pulling away from Hans. Green just grinned, unaffected by the others annoyance.

'Okay, so why _were_ you after the guy?' He asked, glancing down at Sam. Sam took a deep breath, pressing himself against the glass. Samuel cleared his throat, looking anywhere but Green's eyes.

'I came in and found the guy. I perceived him as a threat, chased him, and he attacked me.' He said stiffly. Green gave him a look that said _"_ _really?"_ , which made Samuel shrug.

'What else?' He demanded.

'What cha' mean?' Green stepped forward, pointing accusingly.

'You are purposely emitting a key piece of information here!'

'Ooo, nice word.' Black commented, snickering at the double annoyed look that was sent his way. Samuel took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. He finally looked back at Green.

'Takota's missing,' He lamented quietly, 'I thought he had something to do with Takota being gone.'

The giants froze. Blue sucked in a shocked breath. Hans fidgeted slightly. Black raised an eyebrow, glancing down at Sam appraisingly. Like he was trying to figure out how he could have done such a thing, and was torn with how he felt about it.

But Green was the one who had the worst reaction. He blinked, staring around with growing worry. When he didn't find what he was looking for his hand reached up over his heart. He began to hyperventilate, shaking his head. He began sweating, looking like he was in physical pain. His legs buckled, and he had to lean against the nearby couch or risk falling down.

'Guys... I... I-I can't...'

'Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!' Blue mumbled, rushing over to Green as the child began crying, 'Please calm down!'

'What the hell would be able to break a _Bond_!?'

'Chief, please don't!' Samuel pleaded, stepping back as his flaming hair seemed to rear up, as if oil had been thrown over fire. Hans flinched back, rubbing his temple like he had gained an intense migraine. Black began grinning, leaning forward as if he were feeding off of the panic. Green began shrinking into himself, shaking his head in denial. Sam shank down, trying to draw less attention to himself.

'He's gone,' Green breathed, one hand clinging to Blue's shoulder like a lifeline, 'How are we going to find him?'

The giants paused, taking a moment to just breath. Then they simultaneously looked down at Sam. Their combined weight sent chills down Sam's back, pressing down on him like lead weights. Green closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath, before he stepped forward. Sam gulped, trying to press himself through the glass so he could flee. But he was trapped, like a cornered animal. Man, he hated this helpless feeling.

But Green stopped when he noticed his reaction. Now he stood a few paces from him, not looming over him like the others did, though they quickly stepped back. He crouched down, flicking his hand. Another violet hand appeared, removing the vase from over him. Sam flinched down, plucking up his knife as the glass was gently sat beside him.

'I'm sure you'd want to keep some distance between us, huh? So... you okay, kid?' Green asked, his voice low and kind, 'What's your name?'

Sam took a deep breath, glancing around at the other giants around him. Black and Hans were behind him, their gazes cold and unblinking. Samuel stood to the side, arms crossed as he looked down suspiciously. Blue stood behind Green, looking concerned and put out by the tense situation. Sam wasn't sure if he was happy to be free of the vase with them surrounding him like this. It made him feel like a cornered mouse. But at least they were keeping their distance... for now.

'Uh... My name's Sam.' He muttered, which earned him a pleased smile.

'Well, I'm Jason. The kid's Oliver. You've met Samuel and Hans,' He muttered, then looked angrily at Black, 'And the asshole who tried grabbin' ya before is Adrian.'

'Oh, you noticed that?' Adrian asked with mock surprise.

'How did ya get in here?!' Samuel demanded, taking a step forward only for Hans to grab his collar and pull him back. Jason rolled his eyes at his blunt demand.

'How do I know you didn't cause it?' Sam demanded suddenly, 'Did one of _you_ have something to do with this?!' They leaned back, each with differing levels of shock to his heated question. They hadn't expected the small bundle of nerves to shoot back accusations of his own, it seemed.

For a moment, watching each giant tense up like cats ready to pounce, Sam though he had pushed his luck.

Jason chuckled, shaking his head. The others had tensed up at Sam's words, but now they relaxed somewhat.

'No, we didn't have anything to do with it,' He said, smiling reassuringly, 'And I'd like to say sorry, Sam. This lot can be kinda... _intense_ , sometimes.'

'No kidding.' Sam muttered, rubbing his arm to try and disperse his nerves. It didn't really work.

'Are you hurt?' Oliver asked, cocking his head. Sam looked away from him, gently prodding at his chest. He winced at the tender feeling. Bruises were already starting to form.

Jason must have noticed the pained look, for he leaned forward a bit to see him better. He snapped his fingers and his eye lit up again, only this time it was a white-pink colour. Something flashed over him, like a scan, before lighting up parts of his body. His legs glowed faintly, as well as a tiny spot in his arm from where it had gotten broken. He still suffered from occasional aches when he was stressed. But his chest glowed the brightest.

'Dammit, Samuel!' Jason hissed, his eyes flashing the same red as the other guy. Samuel had the decency to look away, ashamed of what he'd done in his fit.

Oliver had already moved, grabbing a small silver rod from seemingly nowhere and handing it to Jason. He then fiddled with it, clearing his throat. His cheeks pinked slightly.

'Sam,' He said hesitantly, 'I'm afraid I'm gonna need you to pull up your shirt. I need to have a proper look at those bruises.'

Sam gulped, stepping away from the giant. His eyes flicked to the others, each foreboding in their own way. They could cause so much damage if they wanted. He didn't even know what they were, and that was what _really_ scared him.

But Jason had only been kind to him. He'd kept a respectful distance, and kept his voice low for him. And all he wanted was to make sure Sam was okay, even though he must be worried sick about his missing friend.

'You... you won't try to grab me?' Sam asked quietly. Jason shook his head, expression serious.

'I won't touch you unless you allow it.' He stated.

Sam was skeptical about that, but took a hold of his shirt. He took a deep breath, wishing he could be anywhere else. He tugged the cloth up, hating the feeling of so many eyes on him, witnessing this weak moment. He tried to repress a shiver, and failed. There were dark bruises across his chest shaped like fingerprints, and he quivered as memories of past captivity pushed to the forefront of his thoughts.

But Jason didn't say anything. He just held the little rod close, pressing down on a small button. A red light ran along his skin, and wherever it touched, the skin began healing itself at an incredible rate. Sam's breath hitched, watching as dark purple lightened into a paler version, before blending into his skin. There was still a tiny ache, but the majority of the colour had now faded.

'Okay. Give it an hour or two, and there will be no more pain left.' Oliver stated as he took back the small device. Sam nodded, his hand running down his skin in awe. How did they do that?

'So... how _did_ you get in here?' Jason asked, cocking his head curiously. Sam shrugged, prodding his chest for any tricks, but no, the bruises were truly healed. Even the kink in his arm was gone! Then he winced as he touched a particularly nasty spot. Well, the bruises were _mostly_ healed, at least.

'I just woke up in here,' He admitted, 'I don't remember what happened that could have done it.'

'So you don't know either,' Jason muttered, his fingers drumming against his knee, 'MASS!'

There was a shimmer before a semi-physical silhouette of a man appeared sitting beside Adrian. It was just a dark shape, which seemed almost like a ghost with much less details.

'Can you show us the borrower's arrival?' Jason asked, smirking slightly at the name.

The apparition... ghost... _thing_ , held out an arm, and a dark screen appeared above its hand. Sam watched as a black and white picture formed, showing the room from one of the corner ceilings. He sent a quick glance to the corner, surprised to find no hint of any kind of any camera.

'What, no colour?' Samuel mumbled. MASS shook its head.

'Telepaths are working on the network, and some systems have temporarily gone down as a result.' It stated in a monotonous voice that echoed around the room. Jason leaned forward, watching as a tiny figure slept in the cloth on the desk. The video sped up for a moment before slowing as the figure – Sam supposed this was Takota – began thrashing in his sleep. The giants grimaced at the sight, and even Adrian's eyes twitched with something akin to sympathy.

Then the video went white. For a whole couple of seconds there was nothing, then the room slowly reappeared. Now Sam sat in the cloth, looking around at his surroundings in confusion.

Jason frowned, cocking his head. The video replayed, showing the screen becoming white again. His head moved, but his eyes were still glued to the video.

'Does that look like... what I _think_ it looks like?'

'But the Twins don't do that!' Oliver said, rubbing his arm self-consciously. Samuel rolled his eyes.

'The Original was sent to a different planet by them,' Hans stated matter-of-factly 'It is not too far of a stretch for them to do it again.'

'So why would Hydron do it?' Samuel asked.

' _Hydra_ was the one who did it before,' Hans said, 'Why would you think _he_ did it?'

'Cause he's just like me; it's _always_ him. And he _loves_ messin' with us,' Samuel snipped with a mock-annoyed tone, 'But why the hell would he switch Takota with someone from somewhere else?'

'Well,' Jason said, his fingers drumming a nameless tune, 'Why don't we ask?'

They didn't move for a moment. They simply thought over Jason's question.

-'Ha!'

-'No!'

-'Fuck yeah!'

-'I'll get the bowl!'

Sam flinched, the voices loud and intermingled as they spoke at once. Oliver had rushed out of the room, Adrian laughing hysterically. Samuel had fist-bumped the air, while Hans had rushed to Jason's side.

'There is no reason for us to disturb them with something so trivial!' Hans stated, sounding almost panicked.

'Takota's safety is _not_ a trivial manner!'

The two continued to glare at each other for a moment, but stopped when Oliver rushed back in. He was holding a white marble bowl, which was filled with clear water. He paused, sending Jason a bitchface that rivaled his own. Jason sighed, bending down beside Sam.

'Sorry mate, but we're gonna need you to move,' He said, gently placing a flat hand on the desk, 'The armchair okay for you?'

Sam hesitated, looking between that hand and Jason's eyes. They... they were a lot like Dean's, actually. Dark and cold, but with an underlying sense of warmth. He looked sheepish for what he had to ask, but his face was open with hope. Hope that this new acquaintance would trust him.

And for some reason, Sam felt he could.

He took a deep breath, stepping closer to the hand. It didn't move. He paused as he stood right by the fingers, glancing at their owner. Jason just smiled, waiting patiently. Sam held his breath, planting a boot onto a finger, forcing himself on. Nerves twitched under his feet, but he'd grown used to that reaction when he stepped on someone's hands. Jason probably didn't even notice the tiny twitches. He stepped over to the palm, crouching down. When Jason was sure he was settled, he carefully lifted his hand, the fingers curling in for more stability. The ride was... really smooth, showing years of practice handling small folk. Jason turned to the couch beside him – the one opposite Adrian, Sam was pleased to see – and placed his hand on the armrest, allowing Sam to climb off himself. Sam shakily climbed off, sinking into the fabric of the couch, but smiled at the giant. Jason nodded, turning to take the bowl from Oliver and place it on the table before him.

'Okay,' He said, a strained smile sent to the others, 'Let's get ourselves some answers.'


	4. Chapter 4

Sam watched as the giants sat around the bowl, watching Jason expectantly. Sam found himself leaning forward, strangely effected by the thick anticipation in the air. He couldn't help but feel curious as to what Jason was about to do.

Jason took a deep breath, clapping his hands together. After a moment, small bluish spark began to leap from his hands. He held them over the water, and the water began to become murky as the sparks touched it. The lights began to dim a bit, while the water began to gleam with an otherworldly silver-blue glow. The less light there was, the more aglow the water became, until it became the only source of light.

Jason mumbled something, and rose his hands as he opened his eyes. A silver-blue flame lit up his eye. As Sam watched, the water began to rise, leaping over itself as it struggled to take on a form. It twisted, twirled, and began to take the shape of a rather humanoid form, before it stepped forward, a detailed sculpture of a woman made of water. It was small, though about an inch taller than Sam himself. She held back her arms, flinging a watery cape back as she smiled up at Jason.

'Children.' A velvety voice muttered, soft and motherly in nature, and she nodded her head.

'Mother Moon.' Jason breathed, bowing his head and clapping his fist over his heart in greeting. Hans had gotten to his knees, bowing to the luminous form. Samuel had to hold back the jittery Oliver from jumping forward, but he was smiling fondly. Adrian scoffed, looking away almost dejectedly.

'You have summoned me, Quintuple?' The figure queried, cocking her head. Droplets of water fell at the movement, gently splashing back into the bowl.

'Takota is missing, Hydra,' Jason began, taking a deep breath, 'I don't know where he is, and I... I'm worried about him.'

'There are ways for you to find him,' She stated, shrugging, 'Why do you need _my_ word for it?'

'It will take too long,' Jason said, 'I... I need to know he is okay! I need to get him back home.'

The figure – Hydra – smiled delightedly. Her body sank into the bowl, reforming into two new forms. Sam gasped at the familiar form that was walking back and forth, speaking to a smaller form on a watery apparition of a table.

'Takota may be in a different dimension, but he is quite safe,' Hydra's voice stated reassuringly, before she reformed, 'The hunter may be a... how do you put it? A "hardass"? But he is a true Mandimal at heart. No harm will come to him, I assure you.'

Jason sighed, his entire form slumping back in a relaxed posture. Sam found himself smiling at the woman's description of his brother. He didn't know what a Mandimal was, but the word "hardass" got a chuckle out of him.

'But how will we get over there?' Adrian asked, 'Last I checked, all the portals to the Submersion Field were destroyed.' Hydra chucked, turning to him.

'Shifters are powerful, but you are not at the point where you can destroy _all_ of my creations, _Karma_.' She stated. Adrian rolled his eyes, crossing his arms at the name with a quiet huff. Hydra then took a hold of her cape, twirling until the form shifted into a ball. A planet formed with strange continents, which were inconsistent to the globes that Sam had learnt about in his childhood. It seemed to be mostly land, with very little ocean, but many large rivers crossing the land. The image sharpened to a small area, a river by a large building glowing brighter than the rest.

'There is always a way to the Submersion Field.' Hydra stated, reforming to smile at Jason again. She stepped forward and reached out to place her small hand on his cheek. Jason leaned into the touch, almost desperate for mother-like contact, despite how small it was.

She then turned to Sam, making him freeze were he sat. She just smiled, stepping away from Jason.

'Blessings to you, Sam Winchester,' She said, bowing her head, 'You and your brother will go on to do great things, indeed.'

Then the lights flicked on, the water falling back into the bowl with no life to animate it. The summoning was over. Jason blinked a couple of times, rubbing at his eyes to get rid of the tingling sensation behind his eye. He didn't usually use so many powerful Abilities in so short a time. It left an uncomfortable ache behind.

'Are we _really_ gonna do this, Chief?' Samuel asked. Jason sighed, running a hand over his face so to procrastinate answering.

'You remember how it was last time we went Submerging. Do we really want to have a repeat of that?' Hans asked.

'But we need to get Takota,' Oliver said, 'And let's not forget Sam here, either!'

'How can I trust you, though?'

The giants looked down at Sam, who did his best not to fidget under their stares. He shakily stood up, crossing his arms.

'I'm sure you guys will be fine,' He stated, nodding to Jason and Oliver, 'But how can I be sure I'll be safe with _them_ around. Bloody hell, one of them has already tried to kill me today!'

Jason thought for a moment, quickly looking between the others. They either nodded or shrugged, as if he had silently asked them a question through some physic link. The small man could not have known how true the idle thought was.

'We make a Deal,' Jason decided finally, 'Safe passage home, in return for Takota's safety.'

'...No tricks?' Sam asked.

'Quintuple will be on their best behaviour,' Jason affirmed, holding out a finger for a handshake, 'I swear to Hydron, on pain of Touch. No harm will come to you in any shape or form. Not from us, at least.'

Sam hesitated, looking between the other giants. Oliver was smiling kindly. Samuel was scowling a bit, leaning against the wall. Hans just watched silently, as stoic as ever. And Adrian... was pouting, looking away crossly like a child denied sweets. He took a deep breath. _I shouldn't do this_ , he thought.

But what other choice did he have? He had to get home to Dean, and he had no idea how to do so.

So he reached out and took hold of Jason's finger, shaking it.

'Okay. Deal.'

He cried out as a searing pain trailed down his arm, engulfing his entire forearm. He snatched it back, holding it close, while Jason hissed in pain. Glancing at his arm, he was surprised to see a dark mark being branded into his arm, shaped like a handprint. After a moment the mark began to cool until all that was left was a dark handprint branded into his skin. Glancing up, he saw that the giants each had one of their own.

'W-what did you do?' Sam demanded, trying to rub it away, but it didn't go away. Jason ignored him, standing and speaking to the others.

'Okay, you felt it guys! We're Sealed. Let's get started,' He called, and the others began moving, except for Adrian who lazily lounged around, 'We're going to be in a new world soon, so we need some supplies. Food, weapons, and any other useful devices we may need, get them together.'

'Jason!' Sam bellowed, getting his attention, 'What did you do?' Jason cleared his throat, sheepishly rubbing his neck as he bent down.

'Sorry, man. We made a Deal,' He explained quietly as the others dashed around, 'Once a Deal is agreed upon, it is Sealed. We physically can't go against it, now. No Shifter can go against a Deal, so it was the best thing we could do for you.'

'Jason!' The giant turned, hands reaching up to pluck up the bag that was thrown at him. He slung it over his shoulder, placing his hand flat before Sam.

'Well, let's get going, mate.' He said. Sam sighed, briefly debating whether or not to refuse.

But then the mark began to grow hot, and startled him into jumping onto the palm.

Jason carefully lifted him up, frowning to himself. His hand twitched with indecision.

'Okay, are you cool with sitting on the shoulder for now?' He asked almost shyly. Sam gulped, nodding his assent. Jason nodded too, gently holding his hand at his shoulder. Sam climbed off, placing himself into the tiny crevice between the neck and shoulder, bunching up the fabric around himself for more comfort and better grip.

'Okay,' Jason breathed, carefully standing and walking to the door, grabbing his cloak on the way, 'Let's get going.' He walked through the door into a plain looking main room, quickly opening another door and stepping out. Sam looked back to see if the others were following, but was surprised to see them fizzing out of existence the further away Jason went. Once he was outside, they had disappeared completely.

But he didn't get a chance to wonder about that. After a moment, Sam realised what was actually happening and begin to panic. They had stepped out into a hallway, like one for an apartment building. There wasn't anyone in sight, but many doors down the hall that led to different rooms. Jason began walking, quickly clipping the cloak around his shoulders and drawing up the hood. It kept Sam partially hidden, but there was too much light, and it lit him up like a gem in sunlight. He felt too exposed there.

He bristle on the shoulder, staring around frightfully, expecting a stranger to suddenly appear from one of the rooms. _Why is he just leaving me in plain sight?_ He punched the neck he leaned against to get the giants attention. Jason make a noise in response, but continued walking.

'What are you doing?' Sam hissed, pressing himself into the crevice between the neck and shoulder so he'd be less noticeable. It didn't feel like it was working. Jason turned his head slightly, a questioning eyebrow raised.

'Are you insane?' Sam elaborated angrily, 'People will _see me_!'

Jason paused at the end of the hallway, where there was a simple white door. He turned his head to look at Sam, but the tiny was too close to his neck to properly see. Sam could only see the underline of his jaw, which was twisted with concern. Jason was silent as he thought over Sam's words.

And then he opened the door anyway, stepping out into a cascade of light.

* * *

 **Oooo... Leaving Sam in plain sight, Jason? Probably not a good idea, huh?**

 **For those of you who probably don't know, Hydra is one of the twin deities that Shifters revere. Usually it is really difficult to summon one of them like this, but Jason is a special shifter that was "touched" by Hydra to be more powerful that others, as a kind of champion.**

 **Her brother is Hydron, and they keep balance to the universe. Creation, destruction; good, bad; water, fire; moon, sun... sort of a Yin Yang thing. They also get _really_ involved in the lives of the creatures they create, though it doesn't happen too often. Usually its only when people use Hydron's name to form a Deal, and if they go against it he touches them. Would not be too bad, if only his touch didn't burn like Hell's flames. It keeps people from going against a Deal, and if they still go against it the touch will eventually kill them.**


	5. Chapter 5

Sam yelped, moving to shrink back but froze at what he saw.

They had stepped into a bubble of activity and light, multicoloured glass casting beautiful hues across everything. It was almost like a giant marketplace, with many floors connected by escalators. The air was thick with rich aromas from food stalls on one of the levels above, while the other levels were bustling with the casual conversations between friends who filled their free time with the many distractions provided by the building. Bright lights flashed to showcase arcades and theaters, were crowds eagerly gathered.

But as flamboyant as the place was, it was the _people_ that truly made Sam stare.

There were many people rushing around that were like Jason – he called them Shifters, right? - who proudly displayed their strange tattoo's. He was sure there were even a couple of humans scattered around. But the sight of the tiny people mingling with the giants?

There were so many of them. Most were just like humans, but then there were more animalistic ones with tails or mouse-like ears. There was even a variety of winged creatures, fluttering around in groups and racing their giant friends. And all the giants were unperplexed by the sight, long since used to their presence. They walked together in groups, some giving rides to their smaller friends for convenience, but they laughed and conversed as equals.

Jason chuckled sadly, raising a hand to gently nudge the unresponsive tiny on his shoulder.

'You okay there, Sam,' He asked, looking out at the sight, 'Your world's population is unaware of the creatures they share with it, isn't it?' Sam nodded mutely, staring in awe over how seamless the diversity seemed to be. No wonder Jason had felt it unnecessary to hide him. There was no need to fear being spotted by creatures that already knew of his races existence. And they accepted them, no less.

He wished it could be like this back home.

Jason began walking again, walking slow so Sam could stare at the wonders around him. The further they went, the more diverse the people became. At one point he thought he had seen a group of werewolves – due to the fur and dog-like features – but his initial fright was subdued when he realised they were just casual civilians. Not the beasts he and Dean would usually hunt.

After a while they began to hear singing. A group of teenagers had sat themselves down by a table, playing instruments together and singing amongst themselves. They had already drawn a rather large crowd, and the singers would occasionally turn to their audience to encourage them to sing along. They gladly did so. The giants sang normally, which seemed loud to Sam, but the tinies with them had small devices in their ears that Sam could only guess helped block out some of the noise. But they seemed happy all the same, clapping along and singing into little microphones so that they were heard.

The lead singer – one of the shifter girls – was standing on top of the table and noticed Jason as he walked by the crowd. She paused in her song to grin, sending him a wave. The other performers mirrored her, waving excitedly and seeming delighted when Jason nodded back with a smile. Jason's cheeks reddened, and he pulled his hood further down to hide it.

'Get that attention often?' Sam asked cheekily. Jason just chuckled.

'It's what comes from rescuing a bunch of people, I'm afraid,' He said, 'They begin to overvalue your admittedly deplorable skills after that point.'

The lead singer had bounded down as she sang, but now she paused again, blinking hard. She had paled a little, her hands shaking as she ran a hand over her face. Her legs began to tremble before they collapsed, and she began to teeter to the side. She was about to fall!

Jason's form tensed, and that was all the warning Sam got before he was moving. Wind blinded him and he clung to the fabric around him, but the movement had already slowed to a more manageable one. He opened his eyes in time to see Jason's hand move away from cupping over him, now taking a better hold on the girl in his arms. Sam blinked, looking around. _Wait a minute..._ They were now standing next to the table a few feet from where they had originally been. That should have taken him a few seconds to get to, and he should not have had enough time to catch the girl mid-fall. Within the span of a breath, Jason had moved almost twenty paces through the crowd.

The girl's friends had abandoned their instruments and games, now to their feet and talking all at once in their concern. Jason gently laid the girl down, sending the others a sharp look. They nodded in understanding, moving to circle him and keep the crowd at bay. Their childish demeanor had disappeared, replaced with a practiced seriousness that came from a strict training program.

Jason looked over the girl, sending out that white-pink scan he'd done with Sam. He frowned as he did so, hovering a hand over her heart. He then sighed, leaning back. He grabbed the arm of one of the boys, pulling him down next to him.

'You her boyfriend?' He asked, getting a quick nod in return, 'Kay, you need to get her to the nearest medbay. Ask for Joanna, and tell her we got another one. But don't worry mate, she'll be fine.'

The boy nodded, quickly plucking the girl up, bridal-style. He stood, murmuring his thanks, then zapped out of sight. Sam blinked, startled by the ability. It reminded him of the Flash; nothing but a blur of colours dashing away.

'Is Kayly gonna be okay?' One of the tinies asked. Jason smiled kindly as he stood up.

'Don't worry guys. She just passed out,' Jason stated, and Sam flinched when the light pulsing under him began to fluctuate for a moment, 'She'll be fine after some rest.'

Before anyone could speak, Jason turned and began his trek again, effectively ending the conversation. Once his face was turned away he scowled, muttering curses.

'So... you lied to them?' Sam asked. It was the only thing he could think to explain the erratic heartbeat. Jason took a deep breath, sounding almost... irritated.

'It's the eighth one this week alone,' He distressed quietly, shaking his head, 'Shifters have been dropping like flies for weeks now, and we have _no idea_ what's causing it!'

Jason didn't speak again, just walking up to a nearby elevator. He put his watch to a scanner, and it flashed green. He stood inside the small metal box, waiting patiently for the doors to shut.

'The surface.' Jason called distractedly, too absorbed in his troubled thoughts for much conversation.

Sam grimaced at the feeling of weightlessness that followed. It was his first time in an elevator, but the feeling was similar to the one he got when suddenly picked up. If he closed his eyes he could imagine he was with Dean again.

The box came to a smooth stop. The doors slid open quietly. And Sam stared in awe.

There was a small town outside, which looked somewhat like a metal cowboy ranch. A few trees, like oaks with dark trunks and silver leaves, were scattered around. There were three suns above, one red, one orange, and a far off blue sun that was almost setting.

'Welcome to planet U'Bolt's surface, sector eighteen dash A,' Gushed an annoyingly chirpy robotic voice, 'Have a nice day.'

'A-are we on a different _planet_?' Sam asked, unsure if he should be excited, or terrified, 'I mean, I suspected some other plane, but... this?' Jason was interrupted from his faraway thoughts long enough to send him an amused look.

'Don't worry bout it,' He muttered, 'Took me weeks to get used to that sight.'

He strolled out into the scorching sun, quickly rushing to the shade beneath a far tree. The combined heat from three different suns was almost able to induce suffocating. A river trailed passed the tree, a deep blue colour. Jason hesitated by the bank, a hand gripping the strap of his bag. He began absently drumming his fingers in thought.

Sam yelped when he was suddenly plucked up, gently dumped into Jason's front pocket. After a dizzying moment sprawled at the bottom of the pocket, Sam stubbornly gripped the sides of the pocket and pulled himself up. Jason's movements made it difficult, but he'd had plenty of practice. Sam gripped the lip of the pocket, looking out and sending a scathing bitchface at the giant. But he stopped when he noticed his expression, as he clung his cloak to his chest and stared down at the water. He almost looked... intimidated. Sam tapped at the chest behind him, and Jason's gaze slowly turned to him.

'You okay?' Sam asked. Jason cleared his throat, stuffing his cloak into the bag.

'Yeah,' He said unconvincingly, 'Yeah, we'll be alright.'

Jason stepped forward, taking a deep breath. The water began to bubble, a small arc from Jason's position turning murky and dark. A hand was gently placed over Sam's lower form, almost like the giant was trying to find comfort. When he realised what he was doing he quickly pulled away, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Sam couldn't blame the guy; he was probably used to getting comfort from Takota, and now was out of his element without him.

'Okay, I'd suggest you take a deep breath and stay at the bottom of the pocket. A trip to the Submersion Field is not comfortable and... sometimes causes some serious psychological issues,' He stated, looking uncomfortable, 'But if you want to see it, I won't stop you. I just ask you hang on tight. We don't want to lose you in there.'

Jason took a deep breath, slinging his bag securely over his shoulder. Sam barely had enough time to take a breath of his own before Jason dived.

After living in the walls of a hotel for over a decade, Sam had only ever had access to very small amounts of water. Enough to be completely submerged was another lost luxury of the past. Now he felt almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of liquefied mass that pressed into him, yet never really touched him. It was a strange, alien feeling.

But, he was curious. So he opened up his eyes, looking around. It was a dark void, with only faroff splashes of dim light. The world was dark, but ripples of movement appeared when Jason moved. It gave the illusion of water, but seemed off. Almost like his mind was trying to invent something familiar to fill in the creepy darkness.

Jason was looking around, noting where he was before he began to swim. Sam watched as he swam passed one of the splashes of colour. It was a bubble half the size of Jason, with irregular patterns flashing over the surface. As they grew closer, it began to glow in intensity, as if sensing a nearby presence. The colours swirled into short videos of movement, showing a small shot of Jason with a group of strangers, smiling pleasantly at a party. Jason didn't look at it, and stayed focused on what was right in front of him.

The awakening of this bubble seemed to cause a ripple through the dark world, lighting up the entire void with light. Sam almost gasped at the sight, but barely managed to stop himself. Bubbles clustered together, showing similar videos of past and future, with different variations. They seemed focused on Jason, showing him with family, before others showed him in pained solitude. A couple were tinted red, showing a cloaked figure in battle. Some were more terrible than others, with Jason obviously fighting enemies, while others almost looked like helpless victims. But the thought of Jason purposely attacking innocents seemed ridiculous. He then got a glimpse of a bubble stuck to another, showing Jason fighting to protect a small white and blue form before the bubbles were hidden behind a wall of others.

Jason made a sharp turn, bringing a new scene to Sam's view. He stared in awe. If the bubbles behind him had been centered on Jason, now they'd found the ones related to the Winchesters. And the sheer amount... There was only a couple dozen for Jason, but there were hundreds, if not _thousands_ for the brothers. Most showed the brothers being the same size, but the cluster closest to them seemed to show the variations of his life. Where he was rescued by Dean, when he was first cursed. Some showed a life inside the walls, some alone with the Watches, while others showed him with a younger brother. There were even a couple that showed him living in a forest. Some even showed the complete opposite, where it was instead Dean who had been cursed, or they'd even been cursed together. The possibilities and implications began to make his vision fuzzy, and he had to shake his head. Is this what Jason had meant, he thought as his head began to hurt. He felt like he should never have seen this sight.

One bubble was close to the bubble that Jason had originally come from, not entwined like some others he'd seen, but touching slightly. Jason spotted it and... seemed to snort. He hadn't expected Sam's world to be so close to his own, yet alone touching it. He quickly drifting closer to the two. He placed his hand on one, watching as it played out a quick, silent interaction between Dean and Takota. The bubble glowed a bit, and he moved forward to step through.

But at that moment there was a jolt through the bubbles, causing them to shift against each other. The two were jostled by the action, and Sam cried out at it, instantly regretting it when he began to choke on non-existent water. The world spun, and ceased to make sense. His lungs began to burn, as if the very void was sucking his breath away. Or was he choking on water? He couldn't tell. Jason quickly became aware of Sam's panic and quickened his pace. His hand traced over the bubble with a strange mark, and he hurried to step through to get Sam out of the dark world.

And for a brief moment Sam saw something. He didn't quite know what he was looking at, but he recognized what was happening.

And then Jason entered the bubble, and the two surfaced in a river.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam sputtered, trying to clear his throat. He heaved, freaked out from the experience of almost drowning. The slowly growing burn in his chest wasn't even the worst part. It was the panic that set in, when one was faced with a dangerous situation they had no control over. He did not want to experience that again.

Jason swam to shore, which was only lit by faint moonlight. He climbed out of the water to a grassy field. He shivered harshly, slumping against the trunk of the nearest tree.

'W-why is i-it s-so cold?' Sam stuttered, rubbing his arms to get rid of the chill. Jason just chuckled, weakly pulling at his bag to retrieve his cloak, which had stayed dry in the bag. He wrapped it around himself, and the chills immediately began to dissipate, leaving a numb feeling over the two.

'Submerging is a weird process, and it takes a lot out of ya,' He explained, then glared half-heartedly, 'Dun know what _you're_ complaining about, though. I took the brunt of the cold, ya know.' Sam just snorted, curling into the cloth to warm himself up. He felt too weak to do much else.

'So... what did we just see?' He asked finally, too curious of the freaky world they'd briefly inhabited. How long had they even been in there? It felt like an eternity, but in reality couldn't have been more that thirty seconds.

'Well, it's the Submersion Field. As far as we can tell, its the void between dimensions, which lets people travel between,' Jason explained, shaking his head, 'Not many people can handle seeing different versions of their own world like that, and those who can still find themselves dealing with existential crisis.'

'Like, are we in control of our own lives?' Sam asked. Jason chuckled at that.

'Maybe. Maybe not. It's hard to think you do when you notice patterns in your AUs, though.'

'Like what?'

'Well, it's different for everyone, but I've noticed there are always three constants in _my_ alternate universes,' Jason muttered, looking sad, 'I'm always an orphan, I always have to take care of my baby sib, and at some point, I always find Takota. Happens every time.'

Sam flinched as Jason moved, removing a hand from the cloak. He stretched his arm, flexing his fingers experimentally. They trembled slightly from the numbing cold, but otherwise seemed fine.

'You're actually taking this very well, Sam,' Jason began, smirking at him as he began to slowly regain feeling in his arm, 'Most people go nuts after their first Submersion. It's a good sign, mate. Only those with strong wills are able to go unscathed like that.'

'You're not doing too bad yourself.' Sam quipped, but Jason snorted.

'Kid, this is my third Submersion. The first time I did this, I levelled an entire city to the ground within a ten minute period,' Jason snapped irritably, 'Luckily it was long abandoned and no one got hurt, but still... It's not one of my best moments.'

'...And, everything we saw in there... was real? Alternate universes are real places?'

'Yep,' Jason stated, looking sad, 'It's never good to look at your own AUs, cause it can break you down when you see a version of you doing better than you, or worse off.'

'You seen many of your own?' Sam asked, curious about some of the glimpses he'd seen of Jason's life. Even if they weren't related to the Jason he was currently with, they seemed fascinating.

'Well, I only glimpse most of them, really. A few are actually pretty interesting, with monsters and stuff, but these places aren't good for their Jason,' He stated, sighing deeply, 'At the very least, I learnt that I should never let myself be alone. Solitude isn't good for my psyche.'

Sam paused for a moment, thinking back to what he saw before the two had entered his world.

'So, the things we saw on those... bubbles. They are...?'

'They're a direct link to the world inside, giving a glimpse of the world so they are easily distinguishable.'

'And what happens in it is concrete?' Sam asked, hugging himself, 'There's no changing it?'

Jason frowned, looking down at the young man curled in his cloak. He was shivering, though he didn't seem to be because of the cold. Something had rocked the smaller man's resolve.

'What did you see?' Sam sniffed, rubbing at his eyes.

'My brother, Dean. He was fighting a demon, by the looks of it... And it stabbed him in the heart,' He explained, looking up at Jason imploringly, 'Did... did that actually happen? Is... he isn't dead, is he?'

Jason paused, looking away as he thought about it. He could practically feel Hans in the back of his mind, plotting out possible explanations. The most likely was that Sam had witnessed the death of an alternate version of his brother. Nothing to do with what they had to deal with at that moment.

Right now, he had to calm Sam down. He could think it over more afterwords.

'Well, it's possible you saw another bubble when we were entering your world. There is little chance that what you saw is actually happening here. Your brother is most likely fine,' He said carefully, smiling reassuringly, 'If ya want, I can try and call Takota. You'll see he's fine.' Sam nodded, though his thoughts were still troubled.

Jason doubted he needed to hear the other possibility that Hans suddenly came up with. So he didn't voice it. He'd just have to keep a close eye on them later on.

Jason brought his hand close, tapping on his watch. Time to get back in contact with his Bound.

* * *

Takota paced irritably, while Dean was typing at his computer. Takota had given him some information regarding his species, and now Dean was trying to find sources regarding them. So far, there had been nothing. Takota was getting increasingly agitated, wanting to take over to search himself, but the barely concealed panic on the humans face kept him at bay. He didn't need to provoke an emotionally unstable individual twenty times his size. He'd seen the effects of that firsthand, and it never ended well.

'Has your race never come here before?' Dean asked, his voice clipped with irritation. For the past hour and a half he'd only been able to find bogus alien sights, and there were no creatures of folklore that matched a Shifters description. A couple of demons shared some of the same characteristics, but that wasn't it. It seemed as if Shifters had never been there before, which was hard for Takota to comprehend. While they had not discovered the entire reaches of the universe by any means, their explorers were thorough in their explorations. It was hard to think that they had had _no_ contact with this planet, even if it was something small like a lost satellite.

He was almost tempted to hack into the local government archives to find some evidence of shifter contact, no matter how small it may be.

'Were you even telling me the truth?' Dean asked suddenly, glaring down at the tiny guy beside him, 'There is no evidence here. How do I know-'

But Takota had stopped listening, his head snapping up. His watch was flashing with an incoming call. And the caller ID was familiar.

He bounded over to the laptop, cutting the human's tirade off mid-sentence. Dean watched as he jumped onto the laptop, reaching out to touch the screen. A minuscule flash of green glowed through the computer, and the screen fuzzed out a bit, before it flashed with a strange scene. A forest, maybe? There was water in the background, and the camera filming the scene was being moved a bit. It showed a young man sitting by the tree, wrapping himself in a green fabric.

'JASON!' Takota yelled, smiling brightly. Jason sighed with relief when he saw Takota.

'Good to see ya, Mouse.' He stated jokingly, earning a little pout from the tiny.

'Wait, who's this?' Dean demanded as Takota backed up from the screen so he'd be easier to see on the other end.

'Dean?'

Dean froze, seeing a small form pulling itself from the bundle of fabric. _Sammy._

'Sam? Are you alright?' He demanded, his voice panicked.

'Dean. Dean! Calm down, I'm fine.' He assured.

'What do you want?' Dean asked, directing it at the boy who had his baby brother. His eyes flashed red for a moment, but then he simply shrugged.

'I just want to fix a wrong, and get these two back where they belong,' He stated calmly, then smirked almost menacingly as his eyes flashed black, 'To even _insinuate_ that I have ulterior motives is insulting, young man.'

'Quintuple, knock off the teasing,' Takota ordered flatly, looking up at the agitated human beside him, 'He's worried enough without you making it worse.'

Dean was surprised to see the boy look sheepish as he fell silent. So, he actually listens to his tiny friend. That was a good sign, right? Jason cleared his throat, blinking away the other colours until they returned to their natural green.

'So, where are you guys?' He asked, looking around at his own surroundings, 'It's hard to return someone home when you don't know the location.'

'Hang on, I got internet access here,' Takota muttered, moving his hands, 'I'll find where you are.'

The window that showed the other two was minimized, and an internet search came up for world maps. After a moment it zeroed in on a small forest area.

'Okay, your by Swift Creek Lake, in Pocahontas State Park. I'm sending you the map so you can meet us in town,' He stated, pausing as he got a thought, 'Why are you by a river, anyway?'

'Submersion travel.'

'Oh...' Takota muttered, turning to Dean, 'No wonder there's nothing regarding Shifters. We're in a completely different universe! We probably don't even exist here.'

'Okay, I got the file. We'll see you guys soon,' Jason said, slowly getting to his feet with a careful hand over Sam to keep him from tumbling, 'Anywhere in particular you want to meet, Deany?' Dean narrowed his eyes at the name, and Jason just smiled smugly.

'Hardee's.' He stated. Jason nodded almost approvingly.

'Public space. Even as early as it'll be, it limits the amount of things I could do to you... Nice choice, mate,' He stated, then winked at Takota, 'See ya soon, Mouse.'

And the call fizzed out.

Dean and Takota looked at each other, unsure how to go about this.

'So... different universe?' Dean asked. Takota shrugged, rubbing his arms nervously.

'Not something we like to do, normally,' He said, then smiled, 'It's good to see Jason was able to keep your brother safe, though.'

'So he really was in danger?'

'Everyone is in danger, no matter where they are. You just need to have faith in your allies,' Takota muttered, shrugging, 'I have more faith in Jason than anyone else. I can assure you, as long as your brother is with him, he'll be fine.'

Dean wasn't sure if he believed that. The guy seemed too playful to his liking, and really hands-on. The nicknames were annoying, and he seemed... off. He seemed like a danger, even when he tried not to be.

Then again, so was Dean. Maybe the guy felt just like he did; nervous leaving his vulnerable friend with a stranger.

He sighed, placing his hand in front of Takota. The kid flinched back a bit, then looked at him questioningly.

'We shouldn't keep 'em waiting, right?'

Takota smiled at him, climbing into the waiting palm. He was pleased to see that the human was careful as he lifted him up. It indicated he had had plenty of practice, and truly cared for those he held. He was gently placed on his shoulder, and the almost familiar action made him smile contentedly.

So the two left the room, driving down the road to wait outside the closed store for their partners to arrive.


	7. Chapter 7

Once Jason had ended the call, he pulled out a holographic map of their area. He hummed quietly to himself.

'An hour away, huh... We're gonna need a car.' He said quietly.

'Can't you just do that running thing?' Sam asked, but he was already shaking his head.

'Would take too much energy to get that far so quickly,' He said, gently placing him in his pocket again 'Besides, don't ya wanna see the sights?' Sam supposed he couldn't fault him for that.

'Okay, sit tight. I'm gonna find a bar or something.' He warned.

There was a whistling sound as an incredible force pushed into Sam. He gasped for air, but they were moving to fast.

And they stopped.

Sam took a deep breath, slowly moving to to top of the pocket. He pushed at the flap, looking around them. Jason was sauntering through a parking lot behind a stingy looking bar. There were a number of cars strewn about.

'Wait, are you going to steal someone's car?' Sam demanded. He got no answer, as Jason was looking around with a rather concentrated look. He was also wearing dark tinted glasses, and Sam could see tiny symbols appearing in the lenses. Jason then smiled.

'Not quite.' He said, then bounded over to a motorbike.

'Y-you can't just take someone's bike like this!' Sam growled. Jason ignored him, hopping onto the slick bike.

'Considering this is a stolen bike anyway, I don't think it'll really matter,' Jason said, glancing out at the bar, 'Kieth Tyran, wanted by police for multiple accounts of theft, assault and attempted kidnapping. And now he's passed out drunk inside. The police _may have_ just received an anonymous tip to his whereabouts.'

Even now, Sam could hear the distant wail of a police siren getting closer.

'H-how did you...' Sam stopped himself when he noticed Jason smiling down at him, amused by his shocked look. Those strange glasses had now been removed, returned to the bag.

'Trust me Sam. He's not gonna need a getaway bike if he wakes up,' He said, touching the ignition, 'The police will need all the help they can get if he tries to run.'

Jason's eye flashed with one of those strange flames, and the bike roared with life. Sam flinched at the noise, falling to the bottom of the pocket. Jason just chuckled, pulling up his hood and placing on a cloth mask. With that done, he sped off.

The police arrived just as the bike sped off, and caught the criminal as he slept.

* * *

Sam had huddled at the bottom of the pocket for the past half hour, staring at the opening above. The flap was billowing in the wind, and the roar of the bike was near deafening. But he was curious. For most of that half hour, he'd just been fretting, trying to gather up his courage.

Finally, he shakily got to his feet, threading his fingers through the tiny gaps in the fabric. He climbed to the top, barely managing to stick his head through. He flung an arm over in order to keep himself upright, his hair whipping around. The air stung his eyes, and he gasped at the chilly air. The bike was too fast for him to properly see anything around him.

Then the bustling gale lessened in intensity, and he chanced a look.

The sight was breathtaking.

The sun was rising over distant hills, bathing the ground in a golden glow. A small purple barrier shielded him from the worst of the wind, and he just had to glance up to see Jason shoot him a quick grin before his focus returned to the road. Sam looked out at the sight and smiled.

It was an experience he hadn't had since childhood. Of course, he'd seen the world pass like this before, when he'd ride Dean's shoulder as he drove the Impala. While he enjoyed the sight, he'd missed the feeling of wind through his hair. Dean felt it too dangerous to leave the window open when he rode his shoulder, and Sam had begrudgingly agreed. The wind could have easily knocked him down, maybe even kill him.

Now, secured in the pocket with a shield in front of him, he was free to enjoy the feeling of wind in his face, just watching the world go by. It was only a small thing, but it was something he had dearly missed. He was glad to be able to experience it again.

It didn't take long for the scene to shift from wilderness to a small town. It was still early, so most people hadn't woken yet.

Jason stopped outside the meeting point, scanning for a familiar face. He sat on the seat of the bike, arms crossed. A couple of early birds were walking around, and quickly dashed away at the sight of him. But no sign of Dean. Strange...

'What car does your brother drive?' Jason asked of his tiny passenger.

'A '67 Chevrolet Impala,' Sam supplied, 'Its got a black paint job, and the plates are KA-'

'KAZ 2Y5?'

'Wha- How did you-?'

'It's down the street.'

Jason climbed off the bike, strolling over to the car to investigate. He circled the empty vehicle, trailing his hand over the sleek finish. It was a nice car, which he was sure his old Pilot professor would love to have in his own collection, if he didn't already. But it was cold. It had been stationary for some time. He frowned when his hand trailed over an edge. The back door hadn't been shut properly.

He opened the door, looking about inside. An old duffel bag was tucked in the back seat. Looking inside, he found it was full of a range of weapons and equipment. Strange. From what he had gathered of Dean's character, he didn't seem to be the kind of person to abandon his equipment like this. And where was he? He wouldn't have skipped out on this meeting, not when it involved his baby brother.

He had a bad feeling about this.

Sam began to get agitated by the silence. He punched the wall behind him to get the shifters attention.

'What's going on?' He asked.

'Don't know yet.' Jason answered, pulling out the glasses from before. They had been made by Takota, designed to hack into nearby systems and display important information. He glanced around, noting the security cameras. It was only a moment before he'd hacked into one of them, watching the scene play out.

The Impala pulled up. There was barely any light, and the streets were still empty. Dean climbed out of the vehicle, quietly speaking to himself. He moved to collect his bag from the back seat.

Until a figure stepped into frame, knocking him to the ground. They looked around for witnesses, black pools for eyes staring around with a creepy intensity. They then began dragging him away.

'Fuck.'

Jason pulled the glasses away, looking to the side where Dean had been dragged off. He shut the door, locking the whole thing up as he stepped away. A narrow alley crossed between the two closest buildings. It was the most likely route the attacker could had taken.

Sam pulled himself to his feet, continuously bashing at the giant. He didn't like being ignored like this.

'Jason! What's going o-' He was answered with Jason placing his hand over the pocket, gently pushing Sam into the fabric to silence him.

Jason was concentrating, trying to find some evidence of recent passage. He knelt to the ground, trailing his fingers over the soft markings in the dirt. They were only the slightest scuff marks, but Jason had spent years honing his skills to become an effective hunter. He wasn't the number one Mandimal bounty hunter for nothing.

Footprints, and the slight trail of something heavy being dragged behind it.

He began following the trail, coming up to an old warehouse. It was in fairly good repair, and still in use. The lock on the doors, however, had been broken off, the door swinging open.

'Jason! Answer me!'

'Okay. Your brother got attacked by a guy with black eyes, and was then dragged off-'

'Wait- A demon dragged him off?'

'-to this warehouse. I can feel that Takota is close by, but nothing beyond that. Up to speed now? Will ya fuckin' shut up?'

The two were silent for a moment, shocked by the riled response. Jason cleared his throat, blinking away the irritating feeling behind his eyes. _Why did Samuel suddenly flare up?_

'Sorry. Don't know where that came from...' Jason muttered, focusing on that angry feeling.

It was coming from the link he had with Takota.

Something was making him angry.

Jason reached into his vest and pulled out a small knife, which he hid behind his arm. He then proceeded to creep inside, keeping his senses tuned for any sign of danger. All he could hear was the creaking of the wood around him. The building was lit from above, rays of early sunlight streaming through the planks. The building was filled with stacked boxes, trailing high over his head like a maze.

Then there was a quiet groan somewhere further inside.

Jason bounded deftly through the pathways, knife at the ready. He slid against the stacks of boxes, peeking around the corner. He quickly noted down what he saw. Dean was stirring where he was propped against a supporting pole, tied securely to it. There was no sign of the demon that put him there.

But it was close by. He was sure of that.

He stepped into the light, rushing to Dean's side.

'Ouch,' He breathed when he got a good look at him, 'That oughta hurt, ay?' Dean blearily looked up, blinking through a dark swollen eye. There were many painfully red marks around his bound arms from being dragged. His eyes narrowed in recognition, and he gave the shifter a flat look. It seemed to sarcastically convey "ya think?", which drew out an amused snort from Jason.

'Okay, calm down,' He stated, stepping forward and crouching next to him, 'I'll get you out of her-'

'Behind you!'

Jason reacted immediately, but he still wasn't fast enough. Strong hands grabbed his arms, dragging him away from the bound human. Jason thrashed around, trying to plant his feet. He continued to skid back, painfully slowly. He was able to pull an arm away, earning an angry hiss before his attacker was able to regain his hold. He was stronger than Jason, and eventually threw him down to the ground, still holding his arms painfully behind his back. Jason wasn't used to enemies that were stronger than him. Usually he'd only get close to those at his own level or below, and he'd shoot down those stronger from afar. Though, Jason _could_ have twisted around to grapple against the demon, but he froze when he realised something.

Sam was still in his front pocket!

'Ha! Well, that was fun,' The demon hummed thoughtfully, 'You're not human then, huh?'

'Neither are you.' Jason ground out, discreetly twisting so he wasn't resting his weight on his chest. It was an uncomfortable position, but he wouldn't let himself crush his small charge. He just hoped he was okay.

Dean had tensed, eye flickering between the two creatures before him. The demon, possessing a balding middle-aged man, was shoving the shifter into the ground. He gulped, praying that Sammy was okay. But when he guy shifted his weight, he had a dreadful idea of where Sam was. This was not a good situation.

'You're not any kind of creature I've met before,' The demon thought aloud, then the eyes sparkled, 'You're from beyond the rift, aren't you?'

Jason paused, a thoughtful look on his face as he processed those words. The demon began to giggle, pulling his arms sharply, inciting a pained hiss from the shifter.

'You are! Creatures of such power, and you are so human?' He began to laugh, 'Oh, and here I thought you lot would be so much more of a challenge.'

'It was you,' Jason breathed, eyes wide with horrific realisation, ' _You_ are the one that's been draining my people!' The demon giggled again, a strange sound coming from that mouth.

'Oh... how precious.' He purred, leaning closer.

'Get the fuck off him, ya ugly sonovabitch!' Dean snapped angrily, tugging at his bonds. The demon looked up at him, chuckling.

'And the hunter speaks,' He drawled out mockingly, 'Why should I?'

The demon pulled Jason up, holding him so he was displayed to the trapped hunter.

'Why would you even care? You hunt things like us!' He snarled bitterly, then smirked devilishly, 'So really, I'm just doing your job _for_ you.'

Jason gasped as he felt a cold shiver run through his system. His stomach did flips, causing a nauseating feeling as the world began to spin. Then he began to feel heavy, as if the gravity had suddenly increased on him. The hands holding him let go, and he teetered to the side. He couldn't focus enough to attempt a counterattack. He felt so heavy and sluggish. His thoughts were fuzzy, and the world began to darken.

 _-Oh no..._

 _-Fuckin' fucker fu-_

 _-CAPTAIN, FALL BACKWARD!_

Jason had been teetering forward, dangerously close to falling. But he made one last effort to shift his balance. He feel backwards, gone before he even hit the ground.

The demon took a deep breath, a pleased smile on his lips as he finished draining the creatures lifeforce. His black eyes cracked with wisps of energy, the strange power taken almost like ecstasy to him. He began to laugh manically.

'Oh boy, that was better than usual,' He breathed, kicking the unresponsive body at his feet, 'I should drag more of them here. I get more power that way.'

'You bastard!' Dean spat, 'You'll pay for that!'

'Oh I doubt that,' The demon purred, stepping over the body to stop before him, 'But now that we're alone, how about we have some fu-'

He froze, suddenly looking distracted. His eyes flicked to the side, and he began to chuckle. There was no humour in that sound.

'Seems like your little pet is more trouble than I originally thought,' He stated, patting Dean's cheek, 'Don't worry though. I'll be back to play with you later.' And he sauntered away, disappearing behind a stack of boxes.


	8. Chapter 8

Takota pushed, and pushed. It barely moved. With a huff, he planted his feet, trying to find some form of progress. He cursed his small size, and he cursed that demon.

It had to be a glass orb. There were no good handholds on the dark stand, and the glass was too smooth. His hands kept slipping over it, and every failure caused him to groan with irritation. It was slow going, pushing the heavy item towards the edge.

His spark leapt when he felt the edge fall slightly. The orb was half hanging over the edge. He gave one last desperate shove, falling onto his stomach as his support fell over the edge.

But it didn't smash on the ground.

A hand appeared out of the shadows, deftly catching the falling item. Takota gulped, his blood racing. He hesitantly looked up, meeting the irritated black eyes above.

'Nice try, pest,' The demon growled, those eyes flashing dangerously, 'But not good enough.'

Takota cried out as its empty hand came down on him.

* * *

Sam took a deep breath to calm his racing nerves. So much had happened so suddenly. The thrashing; getting half squished; the rollercoaster fast ascent, and just as fast descent.

It was quiet as the demon disappeared, and Sam began to panic. Jason! He squirmed a bit to sit up, staring around at his pocket space. It was so quiet. The demon had drained his new friend. Was he dead? Oh god, oh god, oh-

 _Thum-thump._

Sam froze, zeroing in on the faint sound.

 _Thum-thump._

A heartbeat! The sound was very faint, the chest barely moving as he breathed.

Shifters survived being drained of life energy!

But they needed assistance to get better again. How was he supposed to-

'Sammy? Are you there?'

With new vigour, Sam pulled himself out of the pocket. He looked around, quickly pinpointing where Dean was. He absently noting the relieved look on his giant brothers face as he began moving.

'Dean! We have to- oof!' He tripped over the folds of fabric in his haste.

'Sam? What are you-'

'We need to help him!' Sam said, sliding down the body's side. He began a mad dash towards his brother, hating how long it took to cover just three human steps.

'Sam, he got drained,' Dean said, shaking his head, 'There's nothing I can do to fix that.'

'He's a Shifter!' Sam said as he skidded behind the humans bound hands, 'He's still alive!'

Dean frowned, looking over at the body. There was the slightest rise and fall of the chest. He had been so worried about Sam he hadn't noticed. He felt Sam climbing into his hands to get at the ropes. He tried to cup his hands to form a small platform, almost holding his breath to keep it relatively steady.

Sam pulled out his knife, staring at the thick ropes for a moment. What he was going to do was quite a daunting task. But he threw himself into his work, sawing at the thick fibers. It was laborious work, and it took too long for his liking. It didn't help that the hands he stood on twitched, almost throwing him off in some cases. But the longer he took to cut Dean free, the longer the shifter went without help. Sam couldn't do that, not after all the effort the shifter had gone through to return him to his brother.

After an agonizingly long couple of minutes, the blade finally cut through. The hands curled around him, holding him steady as Dean stood up. He rushed over to Jason's side, dismayed to see how shallow his breaths were. He gently placed Sam on the ground, hesitantly moving Jason's head so he was looking up, clearing his airway so it easier for him to breath. But it didn't help much. Jason was quickly fading.

'W-what am I supposed to do?' Dean asked, looking down at Sam for help. But he didn't know what to do, either.

'Think! Is there anything that could help?' Sam asked, beginning to pace in his panic.

Dean paused, thinking back to his time with Takota. He had said something about his people. Something about recuperating downed soldiers...

Dean began frantically patting his pockets. Sam backed up from him, startled by the sudden movement.

'W-what are you doing?' He demanded, growing confused when Dean pulled out his phone.

'Takota said something about how shifters can absorb energy. Or, at least, some of 'em can. Worth a shot,' Dean explained, looking lost as he looked down at the shifter, 'Okay, how do I...?'

He took Jason's hand, placing the small device in his fist. Nothing happened, and Dean grew frustrated.

'Come on!' He hissed, at a loss as to what else to do.

Five seconds. Ten. Nothing changed. Jason grew still.

Just as the brothers feared the worst, the phone began to crack with a blueish electricity. Jason's form stiffened, and he sucked in a breath. The electricity traveled across his arm, penetrating through to where his heart would be. His eyes shot open, sparking with that strange electricity, and he bolted into a sitting position, panting.

Jason began coughing, doubling over in pain.

'Oh Hydra, help me.' He breathed, his voice croaky and strained. His hand ran through his hair to try and clear his shrouded thoughts, and he flinched at a tender spot at the back of his skull.

'Stars, what hit me?' He asked, blearily looking at Dean, 'Who... what happened?'

'You got drained, Jason.' Sam said, looking worried about the shifter. Jason blinked down at him, his eyes starting to clear somewhat. He looked at his hand, where there was a mangled mess of metal. He'd crushed the phone when his nerves contracted.

'What did you do?' He asked, staring at the mangled mesh.

'I gave you something with electricity.' Dean said. Jason chuckled.

'Right. Me spark would have been fading, and latched onto what it could to jump-start my system,' Jason said to himself, looking around at the warehouse, 'Sorry, I... I'm still a little slow. Remind me, what's our objective?'

'Rescuing Takota from that demon would be a good start.'

Jason blinked, sucking in a shocked breath. His hand clamped over his heart, as if he were in pain. He pushed himself to a standing position, staring around in fright.

'Takota! I gotta-' He didn't get much farther, cause he took a single step and promptly collapsed. Dean barely managed to grab hold of him, supporting him so he didn't fall to the ground.

'Dude, slow down! You need to-'

'Takota's getting hurt!' Jason snapped, breathing heavily, 'I don't care if I'm only at thirteen percent! I will not lose another person I love!'

'Jason, calm down! We'll find him!' Sam yelled, trying to calm the struggling shifter as his brother held him up, 'We just need you to calm d-'

'Why is it coming from below us?' Jason suddenly asked, looking at the ground with a confused expression. He blinked a few times, then his eye shone with realization.

'There's an underground level,' He said, turning imploring eyes to Dean, ' _Please!_ I can't leave him down there! That thing is hurting him.'

Dean opened his mouth to refuse, but he couldn't. The desperate look in the boys eyes mirrored his own when he lost his brother. He sighed, shaking his head.

'You're in no position to fight,' He stated, then smiled, 'But we will still get Takota back.'

Dean helped Jason over to the boxes the demon had disappeared behind. Jason leaned against one of the stacks for support while Dean looked around. Just as Sam came around the corner, he found a small trapdoor in the dirt. He pulled it up, looking down the dark staircase. An almost literal stairway to hell.

He took a deep breath, pulling out a pistol from his many hidden pockets. He wasn't going to let that demon catch him off guard again. He turned to the others.

'You two stay up here.' He said, already stepping down the steps. Sam glared at him angrily.

'No! I'm coming with you Dean!' He declared, rushing over. But Dean was shaking his head.

'No Sammy. I'm not gonna let you get yourself in trouble.'

'Dean! I want to help!' Sam yelled, stomping a foot stubbornly, 'I've been able to help before!'

'It wasn't a demon before,' Dean said, sounding exasperated, 'Sam please. I don't want you to get hurt.'

Sam stubbornly moved towards him, but Dean swept him up. He stepped over to Jason, who had silently watched the ordeal, and placed his struggling brother in Jason's hand.

'Keep him safe!' Dean ordered, disappearing down the stairs.

Jason didn't move, just looked down at the tiny he had cupped to his abdomen. Sam was fuming, but there wasn't much he could do to go after Dean.

'That bastard!' He muttered, crossing his arms crossly.

'He's just trying to look out for you, Sam.' Jason said, sitting down and leaning against the stacks. He was so exhausted.

Sam tried to climb out of his hand, but the shifter quickly pinned him down. Sam yelped as a thumb rested over his back, forcing him in place.

'Sorry, but I've been given a job to do.' He stated, voice very monotone-like.

Sam paused in his struggling, looking over his shoulder to look the shifter in the eye. They had turned white as he pulled off his satchel, rummaging through it. Very reminiscent to Hans, actually.

'...Jason?'

He paused, blinking a few times. The white receded after a moment, and Jason rubbed at his temples.

'You okay?' Sam asked. Jason smiled reassuringly, but Sam noticed how his eyes flashed with different colors before settling onto green again.

'Yeah, we're just a bit jumbled.' He said.

Jason looked away from him, trying to hide how hard it was to stay calm. He had been practically dead, and now the boys were restless. They were trying to force him out of control, to force him to stand down and recover from the near death experience. But he couldn't do that until he knew Takota was safe.

 _You need to rest, Jay!_ Oliver stated. Jason flinched, feeling more drained than ever. Hans was the worst of the lot, being the most stable and mature. Adrian was strangely inactive, though. It made Jason nervous.

'We just need to wait,' Jason mumbled, rubbing his eyes, 'Dean will get things done.'

* * *

Dean stopped at the bottom of the staircase, quietly checking down the hallway. Empty. There was a flickering light at the end of the hall, and he could hear muffled voices. Giggling, and pained cries.

He rushed over to the door at the end, cautiously peeking through. The demon was standing by some demonic looking alter, his back to the door. Takota was dangling in his hands, limbs being painfully pulled at.

Dean took a deep breath, quietly stepping forward. Takota took pained gasps, glaring hatefully at the demon. His eyes then flicked over to Dean, widening slightly. But he quickly looked away, struggling more vigorously in the demons cruel hands. The demons gaze was riveted on the tiny being, delighted by the struggling.

'Ooo. You're a lively one, aren't you?' The demon purred, beginning to twist one of Takota's hands. The tiny gritted his teeth, desperately trying not to cry out. He didn't want to give the demon the satisfaction. But he couldn't quite help the quiet whimper from slipping out.

'I wonder, just how far can I push you, before your body gives out?'

There was an audible _crack_ and Takota screamed.

Dean fired. The demon stumbled against the altar, dropping Takota in the process. The tiny gasped as he hit the table, holding his arm close. The demon turned and furiously charged at Dean, who continued to fire. The creature would stumble back at each shot, but showed nothing more than mild discomfort.

Takota slowly sat up, gritting his teeth to hold in any whimpers. His arm was throbbing with great pain, and he feared it was broken. He watched as the demon charged at the human. To his dismay, the shots had no effect on the creature.

But there was something he could do to stop it.

With some difficulty, Takota focused passed his pain to solidify that tiny inkling of an idea. He gasped as he rose his uninjured hand, activating his comm. link.

 **'Jason, we got a problem.'**

 **'Takota? What's happening?'** Was the immediate response.

 **'Deans getting whooped,'** Takota explained, briefly glancing at the ceiling, **'But I think I got a plan.'**

* * *

Sam continued to struggle against the shifter's restrictive grip. Of course, he made no process, and Jason seemed to have retreated into his thoughts, unaware of his surroundings. Any pleas to be released had fallen on deaf ears.

He was just so frustrated that Dean wouldn't let him help! He had proved time and time again to be helpful... but he supposed the recent scare had solidified Dean's resolve to keep him safe. But Sam wanted to help get Takota away from that demon. He couldn't imagine what such a creature would do to such a defenceless kid.

He was a bit surprised that Jason hadn't charged down those steps already, even if he was so drained. He had already gone through such lengths to get him back; stopping now seemed absurd. But he just slouched against the boxes, trying to hide the pained grimaces that crossed his expression. Sam probably would have been worried, but he was too irritated with him to offer any sympathy at that moment.

He froze when Jason suddenly sat up, his empty hand reaching up to his ear.

'Takota?' He was silent, then frowned, 'What's happening?'

Jason began listening intently to something. Sam tried to listen, thinking that Jason was listening to some walkie-talkie device. But he wouldn't hear it even if he tried. The shifter communications link was an internal process, creating an almost telepathic link between others that shared the technology. The only reason Jason was speaking out loud was because he was too mentally weak to do it all internally. Speaking aloud helped form the message so it would successfully send.

Jason then looked down at Sam, holding his hand up and flattening it so the palm faced up. Sam tumbled slightly into his palm, looking up questioningly.

'Do you know how to kill a demon?' He asked.

'Uhh... t-there isn't any, really. Unless you have some holy weapon, all you can do is trap and exorcise.'

'You know how?' He asked, and Sam sadly shook his head. He'd been learning the verse, but hadn't memorised the whole thing yet.

Jason just shook his head, quickly ruffling through his bag. He pulled out a small device that had a faintly glowing blue light on one end. Taking a deep breath, he pulled himself to his feet. He wobbled a little, blinking hard. But it didn't stop him from going to the stairs. He clutched the small device desperately. It's glow intensified, and his movements became far less strained. It gave him a jumpstart, with enough energy to last him an hour. But that was only if he conserved his power. With how he expected this to go, he'd probably only have twenty minutes, at best.

'If your gonna help, then actually help,' Jason growled as he ambled down the staircase, 'Not this half-assed, fucking me over shit you usually do!'

'Are you talking to me?' Sam asked, slightly put off by Jason's demeanour. Jason blinked down at him, as if he had forgotten he was there.

'Don't worry bout it.' He dismissed, shaking his head to clear it. Damn, he was a mess today!

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking a little lost for a moment.

'Sam, will you be able to help Takota while I help your brother?' He asked, biting his lip as he walked, 'This is gonna get hectic.'

'Yeah, I'll get him out of there.' Sam promised. Jason smiled, gently placing him down beside the door.

'Wish me luck,' He said, gulping nervously as he looked through the door, 'Sure as hell gonna need it.'


	9. Chapter 9

'You fucking bitch!'

Dean wiped the blood from his mouth, charging at the demon. He was quickly tiring, while the demon was as fresh as he was when the fight started. Takota was still stuck on the table, and with a broken arm, there was little he could do to get down on his own.

He couldn't fail the poor kid.

Dean was then knocked down, banging his head particularly hard against the concrete floor. The world swam and made no sense. He tried to sit up, but his vision only clouded over. He could barely see the grinning face of the demon, slamming his foot onto Dean's chest. Dean tried to squirm out of it, but he was effectively pinned. He idly wondered if this is what it felt like to Sam when he was pinned down.

'Die!' The demon growled, moving to crush him.

Until he was punched in the face with enough force to knock him back into the opposite wall.

Dean blinked, trying to focus on the figure above him. After a moment he recognised the green cloak. Dean glanced around for Sam, swearing he would kick the shifters ass if he put his little brother in danger again.

The demon stared, flabbergasted. He slowly stood up, the attack not quite enough to really hurt him. He shook his head in stunned wonder.

'How are you still alive?' He demanded.

Jason didn't answer. Instead, he stood in front of Dean, strangely stoic for the young, mischievous personality. He quickly moved into a defensive position, watching the demon closely. The demon growled, holding out his hand to once again drain him.

'Quintuple transform!'

There was a bright light that momentarily blinded everyone in the underground cavern. When Dean looked back, his eyes widened in shock. Jason had changed. His skin had changed into a steely grey. A cloth mask had been pulled over his mouth and nose, freaky white splotches giving the illusion of a smiling skull. His face was oddly neutral, and the green hair had changed to a starch white. In his hands was a long, slightly curved bone, the ends splintered and deadly sharp. He looked just like the imposing soldier that Takota had described.

The demon faltered, staring down at his hand after a moment. His draining was having no effect against this strange form. He growled, eyes blazing.

'No matter. I _will_ kill you this time!' He spat, charging.

Hans, calm and level headed as usual, stepped forward to meet his opponent.

* * *

Sam ran, sparing brief glances at the towering supernatural creatures locked in battle. Watching Jason change had been an unexpected, and awe-inspiring sight. But he couldn't focus on that. He had a job to do.

He made it to the table, glad to see it was hand-carved wood. The legs were carved to look like twisted beasts, which gave him plenty of handholds. He would have liked to have his climbing rope with him, but he still made it up quickly.

Takota was sitting close by, watching the towering giants fight. The demon charged and snarled, trying to get its hands on Jason. The shifter just evaded each attack, sometimes smacking the demon with his strange staff.

He had a bad feeling about this...

'Takota,' Sam said, causing the kid to flinch at the sudden voice, 'come on!We need to get out of here!'

'I-I can't!' He said, glancing down at the arm he kept protectively close to his chest.

Oh... Ohh.

Sam rushed to the kids side. Takota didn't fight as he checked his arm. He grimaced a bit as Sam gently prodded his arm. The arm was broken.

'Fuck!' Sam said, glaring over his shoulder at the preoccupied demon, 'This won't be easy.'

He quickly stripped the boy of his cloak, using a nearby twig to try and bind the injury. It was a fickle sling, but it was better than nothing.

He was just about to help the kid to his feet when the table shook like an earthquake. The two collapsed to the ground, glancing up. Jason had been pushed into the table, his head cracking loudly against the floor. The demon stood, fuming, waiting for him to get up or stay down.

Jason groaned, a hand bracing against the table. He groggily pulled himself up, rubbing his head as he leaned against the table.

Then he began to giggle. The sound made both tiny people shiver. The shifter blinked, eyes and hair darkening to black.

The show had begun.

* * *

Sam shivered, staring up at the shifter as he stretched out, bones popping loudly. He sighed contentedly, pulling the cloth mask from his face. The staff lay forgotten at his feet, and he briefly glanced around to get his bearings.

'Oh no,' Takota breathed, hiding himself behind Sam, 'This can't be good.'

The shifter looked down at the two, completely ignoring the now curious demon. He had sensed the sudden change in his opponent, a powerful, chaotic kinship he only ever felt with fellow demons.

A slow grin spread across his face as he watched.

The shifter smirked as the two tinies cautiously stepped back. Then his hand shot out, too quick to dodge. Sam yelped as he was yanked roughly into the air, two fingers snagged under his shirt to hold him in place. He began scrambling to grab a hold on the fingers. The careless hold was too precarious, and he felt as if he would be dropped at any moment.

The shifter giggled again, bringing the rapidly panicking hunter to his face.

'I've been wanting to get my hands on you for a while now, _Sammy_.' He chuckled darkly.

Sam looked up at the shifters eyes. A familiar set of black eyes, with no sheen of empathy.

It wasn't Jason!

Dean noticed the change immediately and tried to rush to his brothers aid. But the demon pounded a fist into his gut, sending the hunter to the ground in renewed pain. He wanted no interruptions; he was curious how this would play out.

'Adrian, put him down this instant!' Takota called up, the demand making the shifter smirk, 'You know how this works! You can't stay in control forever.'

Adrian frowned at him. He blinked a few times, looking back at Sam. He had a strong, childish urg to rip the man apart like a child would to a bug.

But the mark on his forearm began to flare up with a burning intensity. He snorted, dumping the man back to the table. _How disappointing_ , he thought. He had hoped being in a different universe would negate Hydron's power, but it seemed they were too close to the rift between the worlds for that.

Takota rushed over to Sam, quickly checking that he was okay. He was a little freaked from the rough handling, but seemed unharmed.

'How you doing?' He asked. Sam just laughed, shaking his head hopelessly. Takota was happy to see Jason had had the sense to form a Deal. If he hadn't, Sam could have fared much worse.

Adrian's lips twitched, and suddenly Takota was whisked away by the back of the shirt. Sam jumped to his feet at the startled yelp, but he was already far out of reach. There was little he could do to help him now.

Takota shivered as he was held in front of Adrian's face. His shirt bunched up uncomfortably, and it didn't help he had a broken arm. He hissed in pain as he was swung around carelessly.

'I may not be able to hurt the little pest,' Adrian drawled, 'but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with _you_ , Bitesize.'

Takota froze, eyes widened in fright. _No... He didn't mean...?_ But those eyes were alight with a mischievous hunger that spelled DANGER!

'Y-you wouldn't dare!' Takota hissed, twisting in the shifters grip. Adrian just giggled, leaning back into the table. Takota was swung around, lifted higher into the air.

'I would...' Adrian purred, licking his lips.

Then he opened his mouth wide.

Sam gasped in fright, frozen to the spot. Takota began crying out, struggling in that grip as he was slowly lowered. He wouldn't... But he could. He was heartless enough to do it.

Sam fumbled for his knife. After being so small for over half his life, he'd grown a fear of being eaten by a much larger creature. It was a very real possibility for his people. He couldn't imagine what Takota was feeling, staring at such a large maw that waiting to eat him. Dean was being held back by the demon, who was grinning delightedly. He was enjoying the show.

Dean couldn't help. He was on his own.

Sam charged the shifters gloved hand, stabbing into the exposed flesh on his wrist. But his knife glanced off the reinforced skin. He began kicking it desperately to distract him, but he was ignored. He could only watch in horror as Takota was lowered closer, closer, and closer to the eager mouth.

Takota shivered, fighting desperately to escape his fate. He didn't even care that he was agitating his already pained arm. He clung to the fingers, as if his grip alone could save him from disappearing behind those teeth.

He felt hot breath ruffle his hair and he shut his eyes, preparing for what was to come.

A hot, wet appendage ran from his chest up to his face. He cringed as thick, slimy goo covered him, sticking the front of his hair in the air.

Sam, Dean and the demon frowned, confused when Adrian began laughing hysterically. He'd _licked_ him.

Takota huffed, trying to wipe some of the saliva from his face. Adrian just continued to laugh at his expense.

'Adrian, you bloody ass!' Takota said heatedly, cheeks flushed in embarrassment, 'You are disgusting!'

Adrian smiled, and a dark form seeped from his body. He blinked hard as the inky form solidified, Adrian's true form standing beside the body. He grinned, gently shoving Takota so he'd yelp.

'You know you love the attention.' He purred, licking his lips.

Jason blinked, slowly taking control again. It took him only a moment to realise what Adrian had done. He groaned as he cupped Takota in a more stable platform, glaring at Adrian's amused grin.

'Did you really- I can bloody _taste him_ , ya prick!' He said, holding his shivering mate protectively close to his chest.

'Not the kinkiest thing you two have done.' Adrian stated matter-of-factly.

Now both shifters were beet-red with embarrassment.

'What the hell is going on here?!' The demon demanded.

The three looked at him, then at each other. They burst into deep chuckles.

'Idiot. They never learn.' Adrian said, wrapping his arms around Jason's shoulders. A similar white cloud appeared on his opposite side, with Hans standing attentive. His lips were slightly tilted up, and he addressed his teammates with the barest hint of a chuckle.

'Are we ever going to come across an enemy with enough sense to _look up_?'

The demon frowned, prompted to look up when the other four did. He froze, shaking with rage.

Sam couldn't help but smile when he saw both Oliver and Samuel standing on the ceiling like bats. They sarcastically saluted the demon, standing outside the circle they had formed on the roof.

It was a demon trap. And the demon was stuck inside.


	10. Chapter 10

Jason sighed as he plucked up the staff, turning to face a bemused Sam still stuck on the table.

'Sorry bout that. We needed to keep him distracted.' He explained, placing the hand with Takota flat against the table. The four apparitions of Jason's mind chucked, fizzing out of existence now that their job was done. Sam just huffed as he strolled over to the hand.

'You could have let me know beforehand, ya jerk!' He grumbled. Takota chuckled, amused by his annoyance.

'Nah, he had the right idea keeping you in the dark. Acting can never truly capture the right tone of desperation and fear that comes from a sight like that.' He said. Sam raised an eyebrow as he climbed into the hand, sinking down beside him.

'And how do _you_ know how to do it so well?' He challenged. Takota's cheeks reddened as Jason moved his hand from the table.

'Well... it's not the first time we've played cat and mou-'

' **O-kay** , that's enough of _that_!' Jason interjected loudly, gently sliding the two onto the floor, 'He doesn't need to know about our... _private activities_ , Mouse.'

Jason quickly walked over to Dean, helping the man to his feet. He scanned the man. Some broken bones and massive bruisings, but that seemed to be the extent of his injuries.

'Okay guys, you best be getting out of here.' He said, patting the disheveled hunter on the shoulder. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with the demon, but he'd figure it out when he knew they were safe.

Dean smiled, looking down at the two tiny guys as they strolled over, quietly talking and laughing together. It was nice to see Sam converse with someone his own size. Even with all the uncertainty that had come from it, he was glad they had met the two shifters.

The demon was glaring at him and Jason, crouched to the ground. Its hands were curled into fists, and it shook with rage. It made Dean smile, knowing that the powerful beast was effectively trapped.

Until he saw what was in its now moving hand.

'Move!' He boomed, shoving the shifter to the side. Jason hadn't expected the sudden shove, and ended up falling on his ass. In a blur of frantic movement, he turned to face the demon, the staff held up in front of him. His gloved hand hovered near, and a fine green lazer appeared between the ends. With a practiced induced ease, Jason pulled the lazer back, an arrow of lazer energy forming, and let go to let it fly. The demon was struck through the heart, and collapsed in a heap. The demon was dead, but a pleased smile rested on its dead lips.

They quickly realized why the demon was so pleased.

Dean stood, his breathing harder than it had been. There was a particularly sharp pain in his chest. He looked down, confused, to see a deep red stain on his shirt, which was quickly spreading. A knife was lodged into his heart. He coughed, tasting thick, dark blood in his mouth. And he fell heavily to the ground.

'DEAN!' Sam screamed, sprinting towards his brother. He barely registered Jason's accomplishment of killing an actual demon. In his mind played a familiar scene of Dean battling a demon, only to be stabbed in the heart. He rushed to the hand, calling his brothers name. The usually immensely powerful hand was weak and unresponsive to his touch. Dean was already gone.

'Y-you said this wouldn't happen!' Sam yelled, rounding his pain and sorrow on the shifter, 'You said he would be fine! You _lied_ to me!'

Jason hadn't moved, too shocked by the sudden death. He barely registered Sam's grief-stricken words before he curled into his brothers unresponsive hand, sobbing. Takota seemed lost, torn between offering sympathies or leaving him to grieve.

 _You had_ _ **one**_ _fucking job!_ Samuel snapped irritably.

 _And you call yourself a Mandimal..._ Adrian taunted.

 _Poor Sam._ Oliver lamented.

 _I feared something like this would happen,_ Hans said quietly. _It's a shame. They would have been a great team._

'No.'

Takota glanced up at Jason's defiant exclamation. Jason climbed to his feet, placing his hand on the dead man's forehead. Barely a minute dead. It would be difficult, but he could do this!

'Don't you dare, Jason!' Takota snapped, realizing what Jason had in mind, 'That is too dangerous! We're in a different universe, _and_ you want to do it to a _human_! You don't have the energy for something like that!'

Takota was right, of course. To even have a chance to do this he would need to give every scrap of enjion in his body, which would kill him in the process. Even with all that energy, the process may not even succeed. Then both tinies would be stranded underground, their larger partners dead.

But there was a way around that.

He quickly dashed to the table, plucking up the baseball sized glass sphere. If you concentrated on its center, you could see the faintest hint of a blue spark. Despite how small it seemed, it was a spark of pure enjion that the demon had continuously fed stolen power to for over a month. It was like an atomic bomb in his hand, with enough power to keep New York powered for years. It _had_ to be enough.

He rushed to Dean's body, gently plucking Sam off the body. The kid began thrashing about, spewing profanities with a vengeance. Jason shoved him into Takota's arms, who, despite being the smaller of the two, easily held him back.

Sam struggled profusely, trying to rip out of Takota's surprisingly strong grip. He had to get back to Dean. Tears streamed from his eyes, blinding him. Takota pulled him back as Jason knelt by Dean, clapping his hands together. Sam paused in his struggling, recognizing Jason summoning that strange blue electricity. When the sparks touched the glass ball it erupted in blue energy, and Jason grimaced as the power inside began to traverse into his own form. His face scrunched up uncomfortably, there being too much raw power for him to safely absorb. But he wasn't absorbing it. He placed his empty hand over Dean's heart. The energy flowed through him, sliding down to Dean's body. The heart glowed slightly, and under Jason's palm, the skin began stitching itself together, sealing the breach.

Jason removed his hand, watching intently. He had done what he could, stitching up the worst injuries. Now he had to wait and see if the rift was strong enough for Hydra to have any sway. Resurrection couldn't be achieved without her direct interference.

 _Please... Please work!_ Sam couldn't be left alone like this.

Dean's chest rose slightly, then deflated, as he sucked in a deep breath.

Jason sighed heavily. It had worked. Now he just had to get rid of the stolen energy so no other creature could use it.

Sam gasped, staring in shock as his brother began breathing again. Takota smiled, letting him go. Sam stepped tentatively closer, not even reacting as Jason smashed the glass against the wall to disperse the powerful energy inside. He just touched his brothers hand, and the finger twitched slightly at his faint touch. He choked back a relieved sob. Dean was alive!

Jason cleared his throat, which actually startled Sam. He looked up at him as he slowly placed his hand down beside him.

'We need to get out of here,' He explained, eyeing Dean's damaged body, 'I need to get him to a secure location so he can recover.'

Sam didn't need to be told twice. He leap into the waiting hand, impatiently waiting for Takota to join them. As Takota climbed on, Jason's body glowed slightly, returning to his original form. He carefully slid them into his pocket, and the two settled themselves into a corner each.

'You okay?' Takota asked as Jason began moving. Sam chuckled, the sound turning into a sob halfway through.

'I almost lost my brother again,' He said, threading his hands through the fabric, 'I can't thank him enough for saving him.'

'Yeah, Jason has a soft spot for siblings,' Takota said, stroking the wall behind him fondly, 'After almost loosing his brother so many times, he can't stand seeing anyone else lose their own.'

Jason tried not to eavesdrop on his two passengers as he gently pick up Dean, holding him close to his chest. His breathing was gradually strengthening, he was pleased to see. Smiling, he began to trek up the stairs. Time to put that hotel room to use.


	11. Chapter 11

Three days had passed. Dean still hadn't moved from his bed, hidden away in the small hotel room. Jason had been working busily, applying salves to Dean's black bruises. Halfway through the second day they had disappeared completely. That night, microscopic nanites had finished realigning his ribs and sealing them in place. Looking at him, sleeping deceptively peacefully in bed, one would never think he had been through hell and back.

There was no outward evidence of those injuries, but Sam would never get the images from his mind.

Jason didn't like leaving the room if he didn't need to. He didn't like the idea of leaving his patient alone, and after almost losing his bondmate, he didn't want him out of his sight, either. He tended to stay in the room, only leaving to collect food or old appliances, which Takota would pull apart for some project he was working on. He'd been angsty the first day, but after his arm had been healed by those strange salves he'd gotten straight to work. It kept him occupied so he wouldn't worry so much about Dean. Both he and Jason refused to tell Sam what the project was. A surprise, they said.

Sam wished he could utilize his time like them so he'd stop fretting. He tried talking to the shifters as they went about their work, Takota tinkering and Jason on the laptop, studying about the world. The two were happy to talk, explaining a lot about their world to keep him distracted. But they both saw how his focus would always wander back to the bed.

'When is he going to wake up?' Sam had asked at one point. Jason shrugged as he continued his reading, which annoyed Sam. Takota then began to explain how resurrection worked with shifters. It was an instant process, due to the compatibility and usual need for haste. But humans, being so different, were much harder to predict. Sometimes they woke up hours later, sometimes days later. There was nothing they could do but wait for Dean to recover in his own time.

Sam didn't return to his nightstand, instead spending much of his time curled on the pillow beside Dean's still form. He needed to be close to his brother, to reassure himself that he was still there. The shifters let him be, quietly going about their work. They often worked together on their project, which Sam had stopped questioning about. They never gave him a proper answer, anyway.

Jason was out now, and Takota had gone with him. They had said they were going to collect some dinner. Sam had decided to stay in to keep an eye on his brother. He curled in the nook at his neck, trying to stay close. It kept him hidden from any maids that might have ignored the "keep out" sign on the door. It also gave him extra reassurance, feeling the gentle breeze that came from lungs bigger than he was. In that safe spot, he found himself nodding off. As long as he could hear it, he knew that his brother was safe, and he could relax.

He was so relaxed, in fact, that he didn't notice the subtle twitches from his makeshift fort.

Dean groaned quietly, slowly regaining his senses. It was dark, and everything smelt off. It wasn't that it was bad – in fact the smells were the leftover scents from lunch – but that everything was _intensified_. Familiar smells were now warped with a heightened sense of clarity. Was this heaven? Was he dead?

No. He was in a bed. In a familiar area, but like the smells, everything was distorted and strange. He gulped, feeling a small lump against his neck. His mind in a bit of a fog, he plucked the thing off and brought it to his eyes. The sharp sound of alarm made him jump, and he dropped the blurry thing onto his face. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain stabbed at his temples, keeping him down. The little form moved, propping up against his nose. He blinked up at it, the form slowly focusing. A mop of brown hair, darn familiar hazel eyes...

'S-sammy?' He asked blearily, not even recognizing his own voice.

Sam stared down at his brothers eye, too close to see the other on the other side of the nose. The fright he'd felt from being plucked up and dropped was instantly forgotten.

'Dean! Your awake!' He said, smiling brightly.

Dean winced at his voice, sluggishly moving to sit up. He tried to cup Sam in his hand, but misjudged the distance. Sam tumbled gently down his chest, landing safely in the covers of the blanket. Dean groaned, his head pounding painfully. Or was it? He couldn't even tell. It hurt to think.

'Dean!' Sam yelled, trying to move on the unstable cloth. Dean blinked, confused for a moment before placing his hand beside the struggling hunter. Sam quickly climbed into the shaking hand, happy to be out of the blanket.

'Wha' happened to me?' Dean asked, keeping his hand against the mattress. Sam's usually unnoticeable weight seemed huge for a minute, and he wasn't sure if he could hold him up. At the very least, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it steady, so he left it where it rested.

'You...' Sam hesitated, biting his lip, 'You got hurt. Jason helped you.'

'I... I remember a knife... and...' Dean couldn't focus with all the strange colors that swirled around him. The hotel room blurred together, colors swirling around like a Van Gogh painting. It was distracting, and he could _smell_ something.

'Dean? Dean! Are you okay?' Sam asked, hands on his brothers thumb. He was trembling. What was wrong with his brother? Oh god, where was Jason when he needed him?

There was a quick knock on the door. The brothers froze for a moment, before the door handle began to turn. Dean blindly reached behind him, searching for a pistol that wasn't under the pillow. Sam pulled some fingers over himself, trying to hide himself from the intruder.

The door swung open and in strolled Jason, carrying three boxes of pizza and a bunch of bags of mystery food, a second bag of drink in the other hand. He paused when he saw the brothers staring at him. He grinned.

'Well, good evening, sleeping beauty!' He declared jollily, quickly dumping the stack on the table as the door swung shut behind him.

'Jason! Something's wrong with Dean!' Sam yelled, voice higher than usual due to his fright. Dean only just got better. He couldn't get sick or something _now_.

'Oh, don't worry 'bout it. He was dead for a while, so his body is trying to get used to having working senses again,' Jason dismissed casually, shrugging apologetically, 'Its an unfortunate side effect of resurrecting a human. But it'll go away after a little while.'

Jason paused, looking down at his chest pocket. He quickly slipped his hand inside, bringing out a disheveled Takota.

'You were right,' Jason said with a quiet snicker at his mates expense, 'He woke up.'

'Wait. You _knew_ he was going to wake up?' Sam asked, sounding exasperated, 'And you _left_?'

'It was only a guess, Sam.' Jason said.

'And in my defense, I thought we still had another ten, twenty minutes before he began to wake up.' Takota defended, looking a little disappointed that his calculations were off.

'Is...' Dean groaned as another wave of... something, hit him and made the world swirl, 'Is that food?' Jason smiled, plucking up one of the bags and pulling out a huge beef burger with everything on it.

'We thought you'd be waking up tonight, so we got ya something to eat.' He said, passing the burger over.

'I don't think he'll be able to eat all of that.' Sam said, eyeing the stack of pizzas and other assorted foods. Jason smirked knowingly, moving over to the table.

Dean eyed the strange thing in his hand, so familiar yet different with his new sight. He took a small bite, and shivered in awe. Familiar juicy flavors were magnified, creating an all new experience. It was like revisiting his first experience with such food. His stomach ached for more, and he found himself wolfing it down inelegantly. He was _starving_!

A glass of a popping soda was held in front of him. He abandoned the food to scull the soda, not seeming to get enough of the caffeine infused liquid. His throat hurt from swallowing so much at once, but he was so thirsty, he care.

'Whoa, slow down, mate!' Jason said, briefly pulling the soda back so Dean wouldn't choke on it, 'There's no rush, man. Now slow down, or your gonna choke.' Dean nodded and sipped at the drink, tempted to upend the contents but taking the shifters advice. It was easier to get down this way.

Almost an hour later, Dean had finished off all three pizzas, as well as a large bag of fish and chips, two more burgers, and three large bottles of soda. Even now, he ravenously bit into a pie, uncaring to the gravy that dripped down his chin. The strange sensations that came from readjusting to his body had long since dissipated, but his insatiable hunger had not.

'How is he able to eat all of that?' Sam asked in wonder, munching on one of the fries Jason had given the tinies from his own stash. He had to hide behind the table to keep Dean from snatching the lot away.

'He's been unconscious for three days after a resurrection,' Jason said, plopping another fry into his mouth, 'He needs all the nutrients and sugar he can get.'

Dean paused in his eating, frowning in thought. He looked up at Jason, almost like he was appraising the young man.

'You killed the demon.' He said. Jason froze at the statement, clearing his throat nervously as he tried to look innocent while he ate.

'Demons are almost impossible to kill,' Dean continued, now looking slightly suspicious, 'How the hell did _you_ do it?' Sam frowned, looking over at the shifter curiously. In all the time they'd been together, he hadn't thought to ask about that. How _was_ he able to do that?

Jason was silent a moment, glancing at Takota as he thought over something. Takota shrugged, munching contentedly on his fry.

Jason sighed, his hand idly rubbing at his heart. He looked conflicted, and hesitant. Finally, he looked both brothers in the eye.

'Can I trust you?' He asked. Sam and Dean glanced at each other. After a moment they nodded. After everything the shifter had done to help them, how could they say otherwise?

Jason sighed, pulling his hand away. The brothers watched in astonishment as something exited his chest, hovering over his hand. It looked like an atom, clear and as delicate as glass. The tiny balls on the outside swirled around its surface in a slow dance, each shifting between the colors associated with his other personalities. Inside the original one was a dark blue hue, almost in the shape of a delicate hand print. And the whole thing was damaged, the faint pulsing highlighting many deep cracks along its surface, penetrating almost to the core. It looked as if it would shatter at any moment.

'Its a spark,' Takota supplied, watching the damaged thing sadly, 'It acts as our heart, and represents our entire being; emotions, psyche... you name it. Jason, being a Master Rank, has a _particularly_ damaged and unstable one.'

The brothers glanced at each other, stunned that the shifter would trust the two in such a vulnerable situation. The spark looked so fail and delicate, so easy to destroy. It would be easy for the hunters to kill him.

But, they wouldn't.

'And that's why I'm so damaged, too. To become a master, one must have all the necessary characteristics that go with it. A strong will, a good heart, a leaders resolve... loosing a loved one, unfortunately... But it's not enough to guarantee it,' Jason said, his eyes never leaving the spark cupped protectively in his hands, 'There are only ever able to be two masters in a generation, a boy and girl, hand picked by the goddess herself. We are literal champions and holders of her power...' The brothers exchanged confused looks, wondering where he was going with this. But he had gone silent, staring at the spark as if in a trance.

'JASON!' Takota yelled, causing the larger shifter to flinch back and scramble to catch the spark before it fell from his hands, 'What he means is, he has divine power running through his veins. That demon never stood a chance against a pure enjion lazer.'

Jason smiled sheepishly, reabsorbing the strange spark. He wouldn't look the brothers' in the eye, his own tinting blue as his insecurities were exposed. It had been a long time since he had exposed himself like that, and only now did it dawn on him how ludicrous the impulsive move had been. Not only could the hunters have killed him, but worse... they could reject him, as other had done upon realizing how damaged and unstable he was. He had grown unusually attached to the strange brothers. He wasn't sure if he would be handle a rejection from them.

After a moment, Dean pulled himself out of the bed, staggering to his feet. Sam instantly chided him - he was in _no_ state to be walking around, surely - while the shifters watched curiously. He ignored them, strolling over to the mini-fridge. He pulled out a couple of beers, tossing one to Jason, who easily caught it. He looked down at the can, sending Dean a questioning look. He just smirked, popping his own open and holding it out in a toast.

'To another successful case.' He said. Jason grinned, popping his own beer can open.

'To new friends.' He said, clanking the can against Dean's. They then chugged down most of their drinks in one go, almost racing each other.

'Oh, don't you two start.' Takota muttered, eyeing Jason disapprovingly.

'We both _died_ this week,' Jason defended, hugging the can protectively as if his sparkmate would force it away, 'We deserve a little treat. Even if he can't keep up with me.'

'Oh, is that a challenge?' Dean demanded. Jason smirked, pulling a large bottle of hardcore whisky from seemingly nowhere.

'Do you accept?' He grinned playfully, borderline flirting. Not that Dean noticed.

Takota rolled his eyes, abandoning his fry to grab Sam and get him away from the drinking game about to commence. The two both rolled their eyes at their partners' antics, but they weren't going to be too close when they began drinking.


	12. Chapter 12

Dean regretted everything!

He groaned in the passenger seat, cursing under his breath as the shifter drove his Baby. He wasn't happy about it, but he had been ganged up on that morning and forbidden to drive. Bloody hangovers! And bloody adorable tiny puppy-dog eyes that made him crack under peer-pressure.

And to make it worse, Jason was experiencing none of the horrendous symptoms his drinking buddy suffered. He just drove calmly, Takota chatting quietly to him.

'How are you not dying right now?' Dean demanded, clutching his pounding head desperately. He glared as Jason snorted, failing to hold back a laugh. Sam, cupped in Dean's other hand, flat out laughed at his misery.

'He cheated,' Takota said, earning an exasperated huff from his bigger friend, 'His immune system is much more superior to yours. He can't drink human alcohol fast enough to even feel _tipsy_ before his body gets rid of the toxins.'

'Cheating bastard.' Dean muttered, glaring at the smirking shifter.

'Suffer in silence,' He cheekily snapped, eyes never leaving the road, 'We're almost there.'

Ten minutes later, the Impala was parked by Pocahontas State Park. The group climbed out of the car, beginning a calm trek through the looking woods. Dean glanced around suspiciously, wary of any birds that might come and try to snatch away Sam. Jason and Takota, by contrast, were having a wonderful time, slipping through the trees with a confidence of people who'd grown up in the forest.

They stopped when the reached a familiar clearing, with a peacefully flowing river running through. The shifters glanced at each other, sending sad looks over to the brothers.

'So, I guess this is it?' Dean said. Jason just smiled.

'Don't worry, mate,' He chirped, 'We'll find the time to come visit ya, don't worry.'

'And, before the great lug forgets about it!' Takota called, smacking Jason's neck as he pulled something from the tiny satchel Jason had returned to him. Jason snorted, reaching into his own bag.

'Oh, are you going to finally reveal your project?' Sam asked cheekily. Dean frowned, having not heard of any project before that moment.

Jason took a hold of Dean's hand, quickly slapping a... watch over his wrist. Takota jumped onto his shoulder, doing the same for Sam. It was a small, simple steel watch, with an oak leaf insignia on the clock face.

'What are these for?' Sam asked as Takota climbed back onto Jason's hand.

'Takota programmed them to be a similar model of our own watches, with basic tracking and communication functions.' Jason said, smiling widely.

'As long as you two are within two hundred kilometres of each other, you will be able to keep track of the others whereabouts, and stay connected.' Takota added.

'Check it out, you can text or pull out the earpiece accessory to have a constant channel going,' Jason said excitedly, pointing out the small earpiece, 'We figured with your line of work, these would be the most useful.'

The brothers stared at the gifts, at a loss for a moment. They then began laughing, unable to stop their chuckles.

'Y-you didn't have to do this.' Dean said, trying not to shrug with Sam perched on his shoulder.

'You keep almost losing your brother, Dean,' Jason said seriously, 'With him being so small while hunting, having an extra advantage like this can only be beneficial for the both of you.'

'Plus, it'll help us find you guys again when we come visit,' Takota stated, turning to look at the water, 'Jason, we'd better get moving soon. It'll be an uncomfortable journey if our worlds drift too far apart.'

Jason rolled his eyes, wrapping Dean in a sudden hug. The hunter gasped in shock, unprepared for such a sudden and strong embrace.

'Thank you for everything, mate,' Jason said quietly, earnestly, 'You didn't have to watch out for Takota, but you did. You didn't have to.'

'Well, you didn't have to for Sam, and you did,' Dean said once he was released, watching as Takota rolled his eyes and slipped himself into Jason's pocket, 'Plus, I think you did more for us than we ever did for you.'

'You accepted me,' Jason said, blue tinted eyes shining with unshed tears, 'That enough.'

Dean went to say more, but was promptly silenced as Jason shot forward, planting a quick kiss on his lips. He froze as Jason grinned mischievously, turning to head over to the river. Their tiny partners both snorted at their bigger friends' flushed faces, Jason inwardly blaming his action on Samuel's raging teenage hormones... Even if the personality had nothing to do with it. Dean just stood, bewildered and confused.

'H-he... He kissed me.' He stuttered, and Sam began cackling wildly.

'W-wait! Y-you didn't realize he's been flirting with you all morning?' He asked, which made his brother tense in shocking realization. Fuck, how did he not see that?

* * *

Hydra stifled her giggles as Quintuple left a bewildered Dean Winchester behind. The boy was always an interesting case to watch, and even _she_ couldn't predict some of his actions.

'You just can't keep out of mortal business, can you?' Asked a deep voice beside her. She sent her twin an annoyed look, but he just shrugged, watching the scene himself. Both deities had a soft spot for the shifter masters, Hydra for their potential for greatness, Hydron for their amusing natures.

'Your not supposed to get so involved like that, sister,' Hydron continued, sounding almost like he was scolding a naughty child, 'You _did_ vow to give your children free will.'

'I have not taken away their free will, brother,' She argued, 'I simply presented a situation I knew they wouldn't ignore. I can't very well allow some demon draining my children of their lifeforce.'

Hydron was quiet a moment as his sisters words sunk in. He raised an fiery eyebrow, glancing at her appraisingly.

'You sly bitch,' He breathed in realization, 'You manipulated one of your most powerful champions so he'd go deal with that demon himself.' Hydra shrugged, cheeks tinted blue with embarrassment. She didn't like deceiving her children like that.

'We have no jurisdiction within their world,' She said forcefully, 'If their god doesn't wish to do anything about it, I'll do it myself.'

Hydron began cackling evilly, which worried his twin for a few moments before he sent her a gleeful smile.

'And they say _I'm_ the evil one,' He cackled, 'If only they knew the _real_ you, sister.'

Hydra shoved her brother playfully, glancing back at the farewell. After a moment, she flicked her hand towards them. One last action, before their worlds separated for good.

* * *

'That is officially the weirdest week I've ever had,' Sam said as he watched the shifters dive into the bubbling water, 'And I had a week getting used to being _shrunk_!'

'Eh, could have been much worse, Sammy.' Dean teased.

The two froze when their watches began to beep. Confused, they glanced down at the screens, where there was a tiny flashing light in the corner and a message symbol beside it. Dean tapped the symbol and a green lazer screen flared up in front of him. He frowned, quickly scanning thoughtfully. It was a newspaper clipping, reading of strange animal attacks inside an old forest reserve some states away. At the bottom was a quick message; "Knock 'em dead, boys." A small symbol sat at the bottom, of a silver crescent moon with a blue flame over the top.

The brothers glanced at each other.

'Is that...?'

'I think Hydra's giving us a hint.' Sam said, chuckling slightly. When did their lives get so weird?

'Suppose we'd better check it out, then.' Dean grinned, tapping the screen again to banish the sight.

They had a new case, and now with their new gifts, they felt even more confident about their team. Cause now they would always be able to find each other again.


End file.
